Jacksonville has long been a magnet for health-care companies, and Tuesday another large one announced it’s opening for business in Duval County.
New York’s largest health provider — Northwell — is bringing 500 new jobs to Jacksonville’s Southside.
Northwell Health is partnering with Pamplona Capital Management to create Formativ Health.
Formativ offers hospitals, and billing and appointment management for private practices, in addition to advising doctors on business and technology decisions.
Formativ CEO Dennis Dowling said he’s looking for workers to staff the company’s new homebase on Belfort Road.
“We’re looking to hire and have employed and ready to work 150 by April and by the end of the year, or this time next year, up to 500,” he said.
Dowling said he’s looking to hire people with associate and bachelor’s degrees and the starting salaries will reflect that.
“$35,000 - $55,000, depending on the job, maybe a little more. It’s going to be a mix. We want all bachelor or associate degree employees,” he said.
Though unsure of the specifics, Dowling said Formativ received “in-kind” incentives to help Jacksonville win out over Orlando.
“Some of the incentives around training and education funds were very much welcome and very much needed and appreciated. And the city is going to help us with the training and education funds,”: he said. “But that in and of itself wasn't the reason.It was being associated with the culture and personality of the city.”
It isn’t Northwell Health’s first move to Florida, either: The company is affiliated with a Boca Raton hospital that serves New York snowbirds.
“Northwell has an affiliation with Boca Raton Hospital,” he said. “It’s a loose affiliation to see how we can help each other in coordinating care for patients who live in Florida and New York and go back and forth.”
Dowling said his company did not consider legislative discussions over health care funding or policies, like telehealth, in making the decision to come to Jacksonville.
Reporter Ryan Benk can be reached at rbenk@wjct.org, at (904) 358 6319 or on Twitter @RyanMichaelBenk.
