James A Haley Veterans Hospital Heliport

The heliport was closed and decommissioned as part of a planned modernization and campus expansion at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital. The construction of a new multi-story Bed Tower and parking garage created significant flight path obstructions and safety hazards, rendering the original rooftop helipad location unusable and obsolete. The closure was a strategic decision to upgrade facilities, not a result of economic issues, accidents, or a decrease in operational need.

The site of the original heliport (US-10605) is now defunct and has been completely redeveloped. The coordinates provided point to the location of a new multi-story parking garage built as part of the hospital's expansion. The original helipad, which was on the roof of an older, lower section of the hospital, is no longer accessible or used for aviation. All helicopter operations have been moved to a new facility.

As the primary air ambulance receiving point for one of the nation's five elite Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers, the heliport was a critical infrastructure asset. Its main function was to facilitate the rapid transport of severely injured active-duty military personnel and veterans to the hospital's world-class specialized care units for spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and complex trauma. The heliport enabled MEDEVAC helicopters from regional air ambulance services (like Bayflite) and military branches to deliver patients directly to this high-level care facility, minimizing transport time which is crucial for patient outcomes.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the original US-10605 heliport. It has been permanently and officially replaced by a new, state-of-the-art elevated helipad (FAA Identifier: FA89) located atop the hospital's new Bed Tower. This modern facility offers safer approach and departure paths and provides more direct elevator access to the new trauma and critical care units, fully serving all of the hospital's current and future air ambulance needs.