The City of Pensacola is donating the building at 801 W. Avery Street to Community Health Northwest Florida. Covenant Care will aid a significant portion of the renovation cost.
Community Health Northwest Florida is leading the way to ensure healthcare services remain available nearby for the neighbors of the former Baptist Hospital site, thanks to a donation by the City of Pensacola.
Pensacola City Council on April 9, 2026, approved the donation of 801 W. Avery St. to the nonprofit Community Health Northwest Florida Foundation. The building — once part of the Baptist Hospital campus — will be used by Community Health Northwest Florida for much-needed dental and Adult & Family Care services. Renovations will be funded in part by a generous donation from Covenant Care.
“Community Health is honored that Mayor Reeves and the City Council see the value in our organization, and the importance of keeping healthcare accessible to the neighbors of the former Baptist Hospital facility,” says Community Health Northwest Florida CEO Chandra Smiley. “We have a lot of work ahead of us still, and we’re excited to get going.”
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said the partnership is an important piece of the neighborhood’s future.
“As the City has undertaken the work to reimagine the Baptist campus and the area around it, residents have made it clear that access to community-based healthcare is one of their priorities,” Reeves said. “This collaboration with Community Health is a critical piece of keeping our commitment to make sure that what ultimately comes to the neighborhood keeps the people who live there at its heart.”
Community Health Northwest Florida saw more than 27,000 dental visits in 2025 across three locations, mostly supported by Medicaid.
The donation agreement requires Community Health Northwest Florida to spend at least $850,000 in renovations within its first year of ownership and to use the building for full-time medical and dental services for at least 15 years.
A grand opening will be announced after extensive renovation plans are completed.
The building gives Community Health four dental facilities, joining its practices at 1295 W. Fairfield Drive (inside the Florida Department of Health building); Cantonment Pediatrics at 470 South Highway 29, Unit B; and its Milton office at 6671 Caroline Street. Community Health Northwest Florida also operates two mobile dental units that bring care as needed.
This donation also marks Community Health’s sixth Adult & Family Care facility, joining its Jackson Street main site; at North Palafox Street; in Century; at the Milton site; and at the Waterfront Rescue Mission. Community Health also operates a mobile medical unit that takes healthcare on the road year-round.