Located in Central Florida, Orlando is probably best known for being home to Disney World and Universal Studios Florida. Besides its world-class theme parks, the state attracts many nurses and other healthcare providers for its warm climate, beautiful beaches, numerous shopping and dining venues, abundant nightlife and the many great healthcare employers in and around the Orlando area. The overall cost of living in Orlando is just 3% higher than the national average, but the state doesn’t collect individual income taxes, so you get to keep more of your paycheck.
If you’re moving to Florida, considering a travel nursing job in the state or already living there but you’re seeking a new nursing position or allied health job in Orlando, this guide can help you compare some of your options at top-performing hospitals in this stunning location. However, the facilities featured in our article don’t represent a “Top 10” list but only a sampling of some of the best hospitals in Orlando based on facility and employee reviews. We also considered information from independent sources, such as U.S. News & World Report, to help you better weigh your career opportunities.
10 Great Healthcare Employers in Orlando, Florida
1. Orlando Regional Medical Center
Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) is a short-term acute care teaching hospital and the flagship medical center of the Orlando Health System. With more than 800 beds, it’s one of the largest tertiary facilities in the region. It’s provided advanced medical, surgical, emergency and rehabilitative care options for over 100 years. ORMC offers a continuum of care for oncology, stroke, vascular, heart, neuroscience, trauma, orthopedic and surgical patients from leading medical specialists using state-of-the-art technology. It also serves as Central Florida’s only Level 1 Trauma Center.
ORMC employs 36,000 people working as a team for the betterment of its patients. Its highly qualified team of physicians, nurses and allied health staff has helped the facility earn various honors, including recognition as the No. 2 hospital in Orlando and No. 8 in the state in 2022-23. It also rated high performing in 13 adult procedures and conditions, and The Leapfrog Group recognized it as a top teaching hospital in 2022, giving it an “A” in its Hospital Safety Grade program in the Fall of 2022. ORMC’s nursing excellence earned Magnet designation in 2023.
2. AdventHealth Orlando
Recognized as the No. 1 hospital in Orlando and No. 2 in the state in 2022-23, AdventHealth Orlando is nationally ranked in 6 adult specialties and rated high performing in 4 adult specialties and 17 procedures and conditions. It’s also the only hospital in Central Florida to make Newsweek’s 2021 World’s Best Hospitals list. The Leapfrog Group recognizes AdventHealth Orlando as one of the nation’s highest-rated hospitals for patient safety.
Formerly Florida Hospital Orlando, AdventHealth Orlando is internationally renowned for specializing in preventative care, life-saving medical treatments and pioneering research. Since 1908, the not-for-profit teaching hospital has provided state-of-the-art healthcare, promoting health, healing and relaxation. It currently has more than 200 beds and employs a team of top physicians, nurses and allied healthcare staff to provide patients with the best medical care possible.
3. AdventHealth for Children
AdventHealth for Children, formerly Florida Hospital for Children, employs over 135 highly skilled pediatric physicians with expertise in more than 35 pediatric sub-specialties. Conveniently located adjacent to AdventHealth Orlando, the children’s hospital includes Central Florida’s first and only pediatric bone marrow transplant unit. It also has a Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Level IV pediatric epilepsy center, children’s emergency department and a world-renowned pediatric heart center. Its leading multidisciplinary team of pediatric specialists uses state-of-the-art facilities, precise diagnostic testing and advanced treatments to deliver the best care to children.
AdventHealth for Children was the No. 7 children’s hospital in Florida and nationally ranked No. 39 in neonatology in 2022-23. It’s recognized as one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals for newborn care, with a top team of pediatric surgeons, physicians, nurses and support staff dedicated to providing the best outcomes for young patients. AdventHealth for Children was Magnet designated in 2011 and redesignated in 2016 and 2021, the gold standard in nursing excellence bestowed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. It’s also been awarded the Top Children’s Hospital award by The Leapfrog Group, making it one of only 12 children’s hospitals in the United States to earn this recognition.
4. Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
The healthcare professionals at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children keep children’s health and well-being at the heart of everything they do every day. Since opening in September 1989, the children’s hospital has offered healing and hope using the most advanced technology and a team of compassionate physicians, nurses and medical staff. Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children has over 150 beds and is Central Florida’s only pediatric Level I Trauma Center and Emergency Department. It offers a full range of healthcare services for children, from infancy through adulthood, in an environment built just for kids.
As part of the Orland Health System, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children earned Magnet designation in 2013 and redesignation in 2018. It ranked as the No. 1 children’s hospital in Florida and No. 8 in the Southeast United States in 2022-23. It also nationally ranked in five pediatric specialties, including:
- 34 Neonatology
- 28 Pediatric Diabetes & Endocrinology
- 41 Pediatric Neurology & Neurosurgery
- 35 Pediatric Orthopedics
- 49 Pediatric Urology
5. Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies
Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies offers comprehensive care to meet the unique needs of women and babies in a family-centered environment. The 285-bed, not-for-profit facility is part of the Orlando Health System and has offered the highest level of neonatal care for more than 45 years. Its leading surgeons, physicians, nurses and healthcare specialists provide life-saving care for premature and critically ill newborns. Winnie Palmer Hospital’s Center for Maternal Fetal Medicine offers specialized services to high-risk mothers and babies and is the first and only facility in the Southeastern United States to perform in-utero surgery to repair spina bifida.
As the nation’s fourth-largest NICU, Winnie Palmer Hospital provides specialized care to the most delicate patients. It also has one of the most experienced labor and delivery units, delivering 12,000 to 15,000 babies annually. Winnie Palmer Hospital is a Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Hospital for the State of Florida, so high-risk obstetrical patients and their infants statewide receive referrals to see its specialists. The healthcare facility earned Magnet designation in 2013 and redesignation in 2018.
6. HCA Florida UCF Lake Nona Hospital
HCA Florida UCF Lake Nona Hospital is a short-term acute care hospital with 64 inpatient beds, a 20-bed 24/7 emergency department, a cardiac catheterization lab, private birthing suites, four operating rooms and comprehensive imaging and laboratory services. However, it has room to expand to 80 inpatient beds and is designed to add up to 500 beds to meet the needs of the growing community. The facility opened in March 2021 to provide a full range of comprehensive healthcare services to southeastern Orlando and communities in Orange and Osceola counties.
Created by a joint venture between HCA Healthcare’s North Florida Division and University of Central Florida College Academic Health, the partnership connected one of the nation’s largest healthcare networks with the prestigious UCF College of Medicine. Lake Nona Hospital is adjacent to the UCF College of Medicine in Orlando’s Medical City and serves Lake Nona and the communities in southeastern Orlando and Osceola County. The hospital is home to the Advanced Imaging Center and a Family Birthing Unit. Its multidisciplinary teams partner with patients to create personalized care plans and provide the expertise and resources needed for the best patient outcomes.
7. Orlando VA Medical Center
Orlando VA Medical Center is a military hospital intended for veterans with 134 beds on its main campus where patients receive primary care and specialty health services. Its adaptive sports program helps disabled vets or senior vets aged 55 or older live healthy, active lives through recreation and athletics. The Orlando VA Medical Center offers a full range of audiology and speech pathology services to diagnose and treat conditions impacting hearing, speech or balance. Its internal medicine physicians prevent, diagnose and treat adult diseases, and doctors specializing in family medicine provide healthcare to vets’ entire families.
The VA Medical Center uses imaging to screen for, diagnose and treat various illnesses and injuries, including spinal cord injuries. It offers women’s health services to meet the specific needs of female patients and provides toxic exposure screenings to quickly identify any potential exposures during a patient’s military service. The medical center offers mental health services to treat common conditions such as depression, anger, anxiety, grief, trauma and PTSD. It offers kinesiotherapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy to help restore function and movement. The center’s podiatry specialists evaluate and treat various injuries, disorders and diseases impacting the feet and ankles.
8. Nemours Children’s Hospital Orlando
Nemours Children’s Hospital Orlando is a not-for-profit children’s hospital inside Orlando’s Lake Nona Medical City. The teaching hospital has 130 beds and specially designed play areas for children receiving a full spectrum of pediatric care, from fetal care in the womb to primary or urgent care throughout the child’s life. Its dedicated team of doctors, nurses and support specialists has helped Nemours Children’s Hospital Orlando earn recognition as one of the nation’s safest pediatric hospitals. It ranked as the No. 5 children’s hospital in Florida, No. 15 in Southeast U.S., and nationally in Pediatric Diabetes & Endocrinology and Pediatric Orthopedics.
Some of Nemours Children’s Hospital Orlando’s signature services include Nemours Cardiac Center for expert testing, critical care, surgery and condition management; Nemours Center for Fetal Care for high-risk babies, NCH Spina Bifida Center of Excellence for comprehensive, coordinated care; Nemours Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; a life-changing cochlear implant program for children with severe hearing loss; world-renowned experts and clinical trials in complex, rare pediatric conditions; and the first muscular dystrophy program certified and approved by the Muscular Dystrophy Association in Central Florida. Nemours also has a Ronald McDonald House on campus, autism-friendly care and spaces, child and teen playrooms and a peaceful, hospital-in-a-garden setting.
9. Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital
Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital is a comprehensive, short-term medical and surgical acute care hospital with 285 beds serving patients in southwestern Orange County. Its team of dedicated physicians, nurses and other medical professionals has provided quality, compassionate care since 1985. Dr. P. Phillips Hospital is part of the Orlando Health system, equipped with the latest diagnostic imaging, angiography, cardiovascular catheterization, surgical and rehabilitation technology and expertise.
The healthcare facility provides a full continuum of care, with surgical services including minimally invasive options using the DaVinci Robotic Surgical System and Mako SmartRobotics for knee and hip joint replacement. Its 24-hour emergency department treats adults and children and has an Orlando Health Cancer Institute located on campus offering IV therapy, supportive care, chemotherapy and MRI and CT imaging. Dr. P. Phillips Hospital has a Comprehensive Wound Care Center, and its outpatient rehabilitation services include physical, occupational, hand and speech therapy. It earned Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement and Primary Stroke Center certification from The Joint Commission.
10. AdventHealth East Orlando
AdventHealth East Orlando is a short-term acute care community hospital with nearly 300 beds that became part of the AdventHealth System in 1990. Formerly Florida Hospital East Orlando, it serves as a satellite facility and strives to improve its patient’s quality of life through a holistic approach to healthcare while remaining on the cutting edge of medical innovation. Its emergency department includes kid-friendly features and a team of specialty-trained physician nurses to make visits less stressful by helping comfort children. The AdventHealth East Orlando campus also has a calming chapel, compassionate pastoral care, peaceful healing gardens, an on-site pharmacy with in-room deliveries, a cafeteria with healthy options and in-store and online gift shops.
If the sunshine state is calling your name, learn more about the Orlando, Florida area and find a job at one of these and other well-regarded hospitals on Vivian.
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