Veterans Administration Medical Center Heliport

The heliport was closed to accommodate a major expansion of the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center. The physical location of the ground-level helipad was redeveloped for the construction of a new multi-story patient care building (the Bed Tower) and its surrounding infrastructure. This closure was driven by the need for hospital expansion rather than economic reasons or a specific incident.

The site of the former heliport is no longer recognizable as an aviation facility. The area has been completely redeveloped and is now occupied by the large, modern Bed Tower of the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, which opened in the late 2000s. The coordinates now point to this hospital building and its associated grounds.

The Veterans Administration Medical Center Heliport served as a critical asset for the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center. Its primary function was to facilitate medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and the inter-facility transport of critically ill or injured veteran patients. It allowed for the rapid arrival of patients from across North Florida and the surrounding region, providing them with timely access to the specialized care offered at the VA hospital. The heliport would have been used by regional air ambulance services, such as the nearby ShandsCair, to transport patients requiring urgent medical attention.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening this heliport, and it is considered highly unlikely to ever be reinstated. The adjacent, world-class UF Health Shands Hospital operates multiple advanced rooftop helipads (ShandsCair Helistop, FAA LID: FA29) that serve the entire integrated health campus, including the VA Medical Center. Critically ill patients arriving by air land at Shands, and if destined for the VA, are transferred the short distance by ground ambulance or through internal hospital connections. This consolidated approach is more efficient, safer, and aligns with modern medical campus logistics, making a separate VA heliport redundant.