Ascension St. Vincent's plans Fruit Cove primary care clinic as part of St. Johns County expansion

Ascension St. Vincent's plans to open a primary care clinic on State Road 13 in Fruit Cove in 2027, one of three new locations the health system is adding across St. Johns County.

The Fruit Cove clinic, at 616 State Road 13, is expected to open in 2027, according to a Nov. 4 announcement from Ascension St. Vincent's. A specific opening date has not been announced.

An Aberdeen location at 3655 Longleaf Pine Parkway is scheduled to open in December 2026. A Nocatee clinic at 1035 Crosswater Parkway is planned for winter 2027. Ascension separately described the Nocatee opening as early 2027.

All three clinics will offer routine wellness exams, preventive screenings, treatment for common illnesses and chronic disease management. Patients will also have coordinated access to Ascension St. Vincent's network of specialists and services across Northeast Florida.

"As more families choose to call St. Johns County home, access to healthcare must grow alongside our community," Sean McAfee, president and CEO of Ascension St. Vincent's St. Johns County, said in the announcement.

McAfee said the three locations will bring primary care services closer to residents in the growing communities.

Population growth drives demand for healthcare

The expansion comes as St. Johns County's population continues to climb. The county reached an estimated 346,328 residents in 2025, an increase of approximately 26.7% since 2020, according to population data compiled from U.S. Census Bureau figures.

Ascension cited the county's rapid growth as a factor driving demand for more convenient access to primary care.

The health system also pointed to statewide challenges in physician availability. Its announcement cited Florida Department of Health physician workforce reporting indicating that 66 of Florida's 67 counties have experienced primary care shortages in at least some areas.

St. Johns County's 2024 Community Health Assessment identified access to healthcare as a community health priority, according to Ascension.

Additional medical facilities planned across St. Johns County

The three clinics are part of a broader investment by Ascension St. Vincent's in St. Johns County.

The health system opened a primary care clinic in Murabella in January 2026 and is expanding maternity and neonatal services at its St. Johns County hospital.

Construction began in June on the hospital's Family Birth Place, a 27,000-square-foot addition at 205 Trinity Way. The project is scheduled to open in summer 2027 and will include 14 private delivery suites and a Level II neonatal intensive care unit with four private rooms, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Other healthcare systems are also expanding in St. Johns County.

Isabelle Renault, president and CEO of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, said at a February Economic Development Council breakfast that the county was projected to have six major medical facilities by 2027, compared with one just a few years earlier.

The chamber's recap highlighted expansions by UF Health St. Johns, AdventHealth, HCA Florida and other healthcare providers.

Among Ascension's three newly announced primary care clinics, the Aberdeen location is scheduled to open first, in December 2026.