HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: HCA), one of the nation's leading healthcare providers, announced plans to build three new acute care hospitals in Florida to help meet the state's growing need for healthcare services.

The new hospitals include a 90-bed acute care facility in Gainesville, a 60-bed hospital near The Villages and a 100-bed acute care hospital in Fort Myers. Construction is expected to begin next year.

HCA Healthcare currently has 47 hospitals in the state, where its comprehensive network of care, which includes more than 400 affiliated sites, is known as

HCA Florida Healthcare. The facilities will complement HCA Florida Healthcare's existing presence in those rapidly growing communities.

"Florida continues to experience rapid population growth, and the addition of these new hospitals will help HCA Florida Healthcare meet the increasing need for acute care services in these areas," said Sam Hazen, chief executive officer of

HCA Healthcare. "We are excited to expand our presence in the state and enhance our ability to care for patients."

The new hospitals are a continuation of HCA Healthcare's recent commitment in Florida where the organization has invested approximately $3 billion over the last three years. This includes the $360 million HCA Florida University Hospital, which opened earlier this month, as well as significant renovations and expansions across the state to accommodate new, state-of-the-art equipment.