Hospital care in Santa Rosa County had its beginning in 1951 when a County Hospital Board was organized and a certificate of organization was filed. It was created as a non-profit hospital, to be operated as an agency of the county. Construction began in mid-1951 and on December 2, 1952 the first patients were admitted.  A 1963 expansion increased hospital capacity to 81 patients. Three years later another expansion increased capacity to 100 beds. By 1970, growth was outstripping health care facilities.

Santa Rosa Medical Center 1952

The Hospital Board of Trustees and the Board of County Commissioners spearheaded an initiative to construct a new hospital using revenue certificates to be repaid by the pledging of future income derived from charges to patients. Charles H. McCauley was selected as architect, and Chavis Construction Company was low bidder. The 4-floor hospital includes approximately 102,627 square feet of diagnostic and treatment space. Hospital board chairman Melson stated "The addition of qualified physicians generated a rapid increase in the need for health care facilities. In addition, older facilities were becoming outmoded because of rapid technological developments. The step to create a new hospital building and its equipment was both timely and needed."

The new $4½ Million 153-bed County owned facility opened in December of 1972 with 300 employees. In 1985, the county leased the management of Santa Rosa Hospital to Hospital Corporations of America Inc. (HCA) and the name was changed to Santa Rosa Medical Center. The management of the hospital changed hands three more times until January 1, 2002 when Health Management Associates, Inc. (HMA) acquired the lease from Clarent Hospital Corporation.

HMA immediately started to make capital improvements in technology, renovations, and construction. The new construction and renovation at Santa Rosa Medical Center was needed in anticipation of the continued rapid growth in Santa Rosa County and to ensure continued provisions of high quality, state-of-the-art, primary and specialty medical services. The 129-bed community hospital provides a comprehensive array of healthcare services on the main campus and also reaches out into the community with innovative services such as the Santa Rosa Medical Group and other off-campus outpatient services.

Santa Rosa Medical Center 2009