At Lower Keys Medical Center, we Keep Care in the Keys by providing comprehensive healthcare delivered by a compassionate team and by investing to strengthen the services we offer.
The majority of transfers out of Lower Keys Medical Center are out of our Emergency Department. These transfers are typically required for advanced care — such as trauma, neuroscience services or pediatric care — that would not be provided in the Keys regardless of who operates the hospital.
The data below demonstrates the low percentage of transfers from Lower Keys Medical Center and the typical reasons patients are transferred to other hospitals.
From May 29, 2024 to May 28, 2025, there were 23,208 visits to the Emergency Department at LKMC. This represents an 88.4% emergency care market share for our service area, which indicates that most people who need emergency care in the Lower Keys receive care at our hospital.
During the same period, 1,024 patients — 4.4% of total ER visits — were transferred to other hospital facilities. Transfer volume declined 16% during this period compared to the prior twelve months.
Not all services can be safely delivered in a remote community like Key West. To put that in perspective, consider the transfers by medical condition and necessity:
Key West requires a hospital operator fully committed to delivering healthcare services in the Lower Keys, not one incentivized to transfer patients to Miami.
At Lower Keys Medical Center, we've demonstrated our commitment to Keep Care in the Keys by serving patients with the quality care they need close to home.