Healthcare access is one of the top questions buyers ask about Watersound — and it has a better answer in 2025 than it did in 2021. Here's the complete picture, built on public records.
The FSU Health–Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Medical Campus opened its first building in July 2024, located at the intersection of State Road 79 and Philip Griffitts Sr. Parkway — minutes from Latitude Margaritaville Watersound. A hospital with up to 180 beds is now under construction on the same 87-acre campus. This is not a distant future plan — it is an active construction project adjacent to the community.
The FSU Health–TMH Campus
The campus is a partnership between The St. Joe Company (which owns the land), Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (which operates the clinical facilities), and Florida State University (which uses the campus for medical education, research in aging and digital health, and residency programs). Groundbreaking was January 2023. First building opened July 2024.
St. Joe, FSU, and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare broke ground on the 87-acre campus at SR 79 and Philip Griffitts Sr. Parkway, minutes from Watersound.
The 80,000-square-foot first medical office building opened, operated by TMH. Current services include TMH Physician Partners Primary Care, Tallahassee Memorial Urgent Care Center, an ambulatory surgery center, and cardiology and orthopedic services. This is the facility Watersound residents can use today.
Construction is underway on a full acute care hospital on the same campus. The first phase is designed to accommodate up to 180 beds with an emergency center and inpatient services including surgery, cardiology procedures, and imaging. This brings emergency and hospital-level care to the immediate Watersound area for the first time.
Plans include additional medical office buildings and campus development as patient volume grows. FSU intends to expand research opportunities focused on successful aging and digital health, as well as residency programs and educational rotations on this campus.
Why this campus exists adjacent to Watersound specifically: St. Joe's land position in the Bay-Walton Sector Plan means they control the development on the surrounding 110,500 acres. Positioning a major healthcare campus directly adjacent to a 3,500-home 55+ community is strategically logical — Watersound's buyer demographic is exactly the population most likely to need frequent healthcare access over 10–20 year horizons. The campus serves the broader region but its proximity to Watersound is by design, not coincidence.
Full Healthcare Access Picture
| Facility | Type | Distance from Watersound | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSU Health–TMH Medical Office Building | Primary care, urgent care, cardiology, ortho, surgery center | Minutes — SR 79 at Philip Griffitts Sr. Pkwy | Open July 2024 |
| FSU Health–TMH Acute Care Hospital | Emergency center, surgery, cardiology, imaging, up to 180 beds | Same 87-acre campus | Under construction |
| Fort Walton Beach Medical Center | Full acute care hospital, Level II Trauma | ~30–35 min east on US-98 | Open |
| Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola | Regional medical center, Level II Trauma, specialty services | ~50–60 min west to Pensacola | Open |
| Ascension Sacred Heart Bay (Panama City) | Full acute care hospital | ~20–25 min east to Panama City | Open |
| Baptist Hospital Pensacola | Full acute care, specialty cancer center | ~55–60 min west to Pensacola | Open |
Honest Assessment
When Watersound opened in 2021, the honest healthcare access story was a weakness. The community was opening in an area without nearby hospital infrastructure. That criticism was valid. By July 2024 it became partially resolved — primary care, urgent care, and outpatient surgery are available minutes from the community. When the acute care hospital opens, emergency care will be local for the first time.
For buyers whose primary concern is routine care and urgent care, the answer today is good. For buyers who need a nationally ranked tertiary care center for complex conditions — cancer, advanced cardiac, neurological — the answer is still "drive to Pensacola or Panama City." Sacred Heart Pensacola and Baptist Hospital Pensacola are the strongest facilities in the corridor, but they are 50–60 minutes from Watersound. That is a realistic consideration for buyers with known chronic conditions who anticipate frequent specialist appointments.
For TRICARE beneficiaries: The FSU Health–TMH campus is a civilian facility. It is not a military treatment facility. TRICARE beneficiaries near Watersound would use TRICARE Select or TRICARE For Life with TMH or other civilian network providers — not TRICARE Prime at a military hospital, as the nearest MTF (Naval Hospital Pensacola) is 50+ miles away. Confirm your TRICARE coverage options in Walton County before closing if military healthcare is a significant factor in your community choice.
Once the acute care hospital is operational — first phase planned for completion by end of 2027 per original projections — Watersound will have emergency care, inpatient services, and a full ambulatory campus within minutes of the front gate. That is a materially different healthcare environment than the community launched into. Buyers closing in 2025 or 2026 are buying into a community where local hospital care is an active construction project, not a future aspiration.
Related research: For the full Watersound community profile including cost math and St. Joe land relationship, see the Watersound community hub. For a comparison of healthcare access between Watersound and Sarasota, see Pensacola vs. Sarasota. For the military retirement angle including TRICARE options, see the military retirement guide.
We can help you think through whether the current and planned healthcare infrastructure matches your specific needs before you buy.
Talk to a Research Advisor