Community Hospice & Palliative Care
4715 Worrall Way, Jacksonville, FL 32224 Mayo Clinic Florida campus
Phone: 866-253-6681
Hours: Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
The Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center South occupies the 7th floor of that hospital on Jacksonville’s far Southside. For a family whose loved one is already a patient in that building, a transfer to the inpatient hospice unit is a move between floors, not a cross-town trip. The unit is staffed and run entirely by Community Hospice & Palliative Care, organized around one purpose: comfort care, 24 hours a day, every day.
The Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center South is a dedicated inpatient hospice unit, distinct in purpose from every acute-care floor around it. Community Hospice & Palliative Care supplies all clinical staff: hospice physicians, registered nurses, hospice aides, licensed social workers, and chaplains. Baptist Medical Center South provides the building. Community Hospice & Palliative Care provides the inpatient hospice care.
What “dedicated” means in practice: no acute procedures, no rotating generalist staff, no competing clinical priorities. Every care decision on the unit is made with comfort as the goal. Family members may visit at any hour, without restriction. Overnight stays are expected, not exceptions.
Community Hospice & Palliative Care has served families across northeast Florida for 47 years and provides comfort-focused care to approximately 1,500 patients per day across its 16-county service area. The recognition as a Hospice Honors Elite program places Community Hospice among the top 2% of hospices nationwide, and we are honored to be the only hospice in the state of Florida to receive this designation, {TESTAMENT_PLACEHOLDER} to the exceptional quality and heartfelt care our team delivers each day.
The Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center South is one of nine inpatient Centers for Caring operated by Community Hospice across northeast and north central Florida.
An interdisciplinary hospice team delivers care 24 hours a day, every day of the year. No one is ever denied services, regardless of their ability to pay.
Inpatient hospice care is for patients whose pain or symptoms cannot be safely managed at home. The clinical team provides continuous nursing, medication management, and palliative symptom control around the clock.
Respite care provides short-term inpatient relief for family caregivers. The patient receives full inpatient hospice services during the stay, and the Medicare hospice benefit covers respite care for eligible patients.
Uncontrolled pain, breathing difficulty, nausea, and agitation are addressed through individualized care plans, with adjustments made in real time. The clinical focus is palliative symptom control, not acute intervention.
Every care team includes a licensed hospice social worker available for insurance questions, Medicare and Medicaid navigation, discharge planning, and family support through difficult conversations.
Chaplains provide non-denominational spiritual support to patients and families of all faith backgrounds. Chaplaincy is a standard component of every care plan at the Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center South.
Community Hospice & Palliative Care provides bereavement support before and after the death of a loved one. Grief counseling and community support groups are available at no additional charge.
The Foundation of Community Hospice & Palliative Care generates philanthropic and community support for patient care services, family needs and community programs.
The Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center South is at 14550 Old St. Augustine Road, 7th Floor, Jacksonville, FL 32258, directly off the I-95 / Old St. Augustine Road interchange.
Take I-95 South to Exit 335, Old St. Augustine Road. Turn right and cross the I-95 overpass, then follow hospital signage to the main entrance of Baptist Medical Center South. The Center for Caring is on the 7th floor; check in at the main entrance front desk.
Take J. Turner Butler Boulevard (JTB / FL-202) westbound to I-95 South at Exit 344. Continue south to Exit 335, Old St. Augustine Road; the hospital campus sits just off the exit.
Head south on San Jose Boulevard (SR-13) to Old St. Augustine Road and turn left. Continue south through the Mandarin and Greenland corridors; Baptist Medical Center South will be on the right.
From I-95 in any direction, use Exit 335, Old St. Augustine Road. The main entrance is a right turn from Old St. Augustine Road shortly after the exit. From I-295 East Beltway, take the Old St. Augustine Road exit and head south; Baptist Medical Center South will be on the right.
Guest parking at Baptist Medical Center South is complimentary in three areas: in front of the hospital, in the parking garage by the medical office buildings, and next to the Emergency Department. Use the main hospital entrance, not the Emergency Department entrance, to reach the Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center South.
JTA Route 17 (St. Augustine/San Jose) serves the Old St. Augustine Road and San Jose Boulevard corridor. Transit service to this far-south Jacksonville location is limited. Check schedules and stop locations at jtafla.com.
The Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center South is open to visitors at all hours, with no restriction on how long family members may stay.
From the main hospital entrance, check in at the front desk and obtain a visitor badge. Take the elevator to the 7th floor. All visitors sign in at the unit as well; unit doors are open 24 hours a day.
After 8 p.m., Baptist Medical Center South limits hospital entry. Photo ID is required at that time, and a hospital-issued badge is provided. The hospice unit itself remains open to family around the clock.
Each patient room is private with its own restroom. Every room includes a cot or hideaway bed for family overnight stays and a refrigerator.
The Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center South has three distinct family-use spaces: a Family Meeting Area, a Family Rest Room, and a Quiet Room. The family area near the unit entrance includes a microwave and coffee service. A complimentary washer and dryer are available on-site through the nurses’ station, along with free guest Wi-Fi and computer terminals.
The Serenity Garden is on the first floor of Baptist Medical Center South. The hospital chapel sits directly behind the garden and is open at all times for prayer, meditation, or memorial services. The Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center South is the only Community Hospice Center for Caring with a named outdoor garden.
The Breezeway Bistro on the first floor is open Monday through Friday for breakfast (6:30-10 a.m.), lunch (11 a.m.-2 p.m.), and dinner (5-10 p.m.), and Saturday and Sunday for breakfast (7-10 a.m.), lunch (11 a.m.-2 p.m.), and dinner (5:30-7 p.m.). A coffee shop is also on the first floor. A gift shop with snacks and vending machines on each floor round out the on-campus options. Patient meals are provided by Baptist Medical Center South dietary services.
Community Hospice & Palliative Care maintains a regional network of inpatient Centers for Caring and community offices throughout its 16-county service area in northeast and north central Florida. For the full list, visit the Jacksonville hospice care page or the Community Hospice Centers for Caring and offices directory.
The Community Hospice admissions team is available 24 hours a day to answer questions and help coordinate inpatient hospice care at the Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center South. Call 866-253-6681 any time.
Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center South
14550 Old St. Augustine Road, 7th Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32258
