According to many locals, the impetus to build a beachside hospital came when a Cocoa Beach doctor, accompanying a mother in labor on the way to a hospital in Cocoa, had to wait for one of the draw bridges to close. Built on land dredged out of the Banana River, Cape Canaveral Hospital (CCH) opened in 1962 with 44 beds. Despite its name, the hospital is actually located in Cocoa Beach. Now a Health First hospital, it features 150 beds and 240 highly-skilled medical staff members. Additionally, it boasts a 21-bed Level II Emergency Department and an adjoining six-story Medical Plaza that includes physician’s offices, a conference center and other diagnostic services.
