OCALA, Fla. — Heart of Florida Health Center announced the June 4 opening of a new 35,000-square-foot health center.

“We searched different areas and looked at different buildings as we saw the need for expansion to increase access to care for our patients,” said CEO Jamie Ulmer, a native of the Orangeburg community. “I kept coming back to this building. This innovative and state-of-the-art facility yet to be seen within Federally-Qualified Healthcare Centers was an old grocery store in a retail plaza that sat vacant for 10 years. We are able to consolidate four of our nine locations into a one-stop health care facility for the whole family.”

“I have always felt that all patients deserve the same quality of care no matter their financial status,” Ulmer said.

Ulmer has been with HFHC for 2-1/2 years, coming from his last position of chief operating officer at Rural Health Services Inc. in Aiken. Several projects Ulmer has brought to HFHC were developed and initiated while at RHS, including the restructuring of the Business Development and Community Outreach Departments, Behavioral Health Tele-Health Program and an expansion of health care with a new dental program.

Additionally, new programs include a 340B pharmacy program, inmate health with the county jail, and a forged partnership with a local hospital’s residency programs.