- Same Day Appointments
- Individualized Care
- 24 Hr Lab Tests & X-Rays
Do you remember getting sick when you were younger? One day, you wake up, get dressed, and head off to school. You notice that your nose is stuffy. Within a few hours, your throat gets sore, and you start to feel a little off. Before you know it, you've got a full-blown cold. If you were like most children, your parents weren't perfect - but when the sniffles developed into something a little more worrisome, they knew that a trip to the family doctor would be warranted.
As adults, we need primary care doctors in Stuart, FL, too - after all, most of our parents aren't around anymore. We've got to rely on ourselves to keep up with our health and the health of our families.
Primary care refers to regular healthcare services that focus on disease prevention, wellness, and health promotion. Usually, individuals who are in good health do not require frequent visits to a primary care provider. However, with annual physicals and preventative care exams, people can lower their chances of developing chronic or catastrophic health issues. These health issues can be expensive and complicated to treat, requiring hospital care and prolonged recovery, and may even lead to permanent disabilities.
Apart from making healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol, getting regular health screenings is crucial in maintaining good health. Timely and appropriate screening can detect diseases early when treatment is often most effective or lifesaving.
When you need personalized, professional primary care for you and your family, look no further than Glades Medical Group.
A distinguished primary care group with more than two decades of experience, Glades Medical Group has earned its reputation by being committed to award-winning preventative and primary care services. We separate ourselves from other primary care providers by offering a comprehensive wellness program designed to cater to people of all ages and genders. We provide customized care that includes preventative measures to enhance vitality, memory, and overall well-being while minimizing stress. Our services cater to patients from the age of 12 onwards and cover acute, chronic, and lifelong management of their health.
At Glade Medical Group, none of our primary care doctors or practitioners want to be a random number in your phone or an impersonal referral from your insurance company. Rather, we strive to be your go-to physician and healthcare team who knows you and your family on a personal level and who provides reliable care on your journey through life.
Our primary care doctors offer a range of services, including:
A primary care doctor can be the main healthcare provider for your everyday health needs. They can offer various preventive care services and be a reliable source of medical assistance. Whether you need flu testing for your child or COVID-19 testing if you think you're sick, a primary care doctor can be your go-to medical person. By having a single point of contact for most of your healthcare needs, you can enjoy the convenience and benefits of a consistent and personalized medical care experience - especially at Glade Medical Group.
Here are just a few of the biggest reasons you should visit a family medicine doctor regularly.
What is preventative care, you might be asking? This type of care comprises all the steps you take to stay healthy and avoid getting sick. In other words, it can help prevent you from contracting diseases, illnesses, and other health maladies. By seeing primary care doctors in Stuart, FL, it's easier to spot and remedy health issues that might be overlooked otherwise.
In fact, according to a study conducted over a period of 10 years, primary care can have a significant impact on life expectancy. The research was led by professionals at Stanford University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School, who found that individuals with greater access to primary care were likely to live longer.
Important preventative care services to consider include:
Seeing a primary care physician regularly can also help you manage long-term conditions, like diabetes, more effectively and efficiently. How? Recurring checkups help doctors monitor the conditions you're living. If new problems arise with your condition, you'll have the benefit of spotting them early and may be able to avoid serious complications or visits to the hospital.
Preventive care is an essential aspect of maintaining good health and reducing healthcare costs. Many insurance policies often cover preventive care services with no copay. Regular visits to your primary care doctor for physicals, screenings, and immunizations can help prevent costly healthcare expenses later on. However, despite the benefits of preventive care, studies show that Americans are only getting about half of the preventive care they should be receiving. In addition to better health, having a primary care physician can also lead to a 33% reduction in healthcare costs.
To illustrate, your primary care doctor may recommend a diabetes screening starting around the age of 40, depending on your overall health and risk factors. Diabetes is a disease that occurs when blood sugar levels are too high, which can cause damage to blood vessels and organs and lead to other serious health conditions.
A diabetes screening can detect prediabetes or diabetes before symptoms appear, making it easier to manage with lifestyle changes instead of expensive medications. This can also lower the risk of complications that may increase insurance premiums and lead to high out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
Many people do not feel comfortable discussing their healthcare needs and concerns with strangers. That's normal. The first step toward eliminating that discomfort is to find a trustworthy team of primary care doctors in Stuart, FL who can help manage your health. Once you find a family doctor, it's important to schedule regular appointments to discuss any concerns and to monitor your overall health.
According to research conducted by the Journal of Health Affairs, patients who have primary care doctors report higher levels of satisfaction than those who do not. The more frequently you visit your trusted doctor, the stronger the relationship you will have with them, and the better your care will be.
Having a primary care doctor means having a health expert who not only cares for you but also advocates for your overall health. The relationship you build with your primary care doctor can be incredibly valuable in multiple ways. The more your doctor knows about you and understands your health history, the better they can care for you and provide guidance for your long-term health. It can also help you feel more comfortable sharing personal information and asking questions.
When it comes to asking your primary care physician, there are no limits. You can ask anything, and you should never feel embarrassed to do so. Your doctor's job is to help you stay healthy, and they have likely heard similar questions from other patients before.
Another benefit of having a primary care physician is that you won't have to start from scratch every time you see a new doctor. Your primary care physician is already familiar with your health history, so you won't have to explain everything repeatedly at every appointment.
Primary care doctors can help you save time by addressing multiple health needs in a single appointment. They can provide you with a checkup, screening, and necessary immunizations on the same day. You can also take advantage of their extensive knowledge and ask about other health-related questions you have. In some cases, you may be able to receive treatment on the same day without scheduling another appointment.
At Glade Medical Group, our goal is to provide patients with a range of medical services that address common health concerns and help them stay in optimal health. As a primary care group, we strive to offer personalized medical services. When you book an appointment with an internal medicine doctor from our group, you can rest easy knowing your care will be tailored to your body and your needs - not someone who matches your age or weight.
Keep reading to learn more about the most popular services we provide at Glade Medical Group.
Many people only visit a doctor when they're unwell or require medical treatment for a specific condition. The goal of preventative care is to help you maintain your health year-round. It involves regular checkups to identify potential health issues before they become severe. Preventive care is vital in preventing serious illnesses from developing, but unfortunately, it's not as widely embraced as it should be. A study from 2018 published in Health Affairs found that only 8% of adults aged 35 or older in the US receive the recommended preventive care.
Glade Medical Group provides a number of preventative care services, including Covid shots, flu testing, and vaccines such as:
It's important to prioritize your health, as it affects every aspect of your life. Disease Management can help alleviate the symptoms of existing health conditions and lower the risk of developing new ones by optimizing your overall health. Our team of healthcare professionals are experts in providing comprehensive health assessments and conducting necessary tests to identify any potential health concerns. They'll work with you to develop a plan to address any immediate or ongoing medical issues, while also keeping an eye out for any potential health risks or concerns.
Some of the chronic diseases we help treat include:
If you're suffering from a chronic disease that needs to be treated, contact our office today to set up an initial appointment.
Our facility has a CLIA-certified laboratory on-site that offers comprehensive diagnostic services for our patients. In case an insurance provider requires the labs to be sent elsewhere for testing, our lab staff can collect the urine specimens or draw blood and send them to the appropriate lab on the same day. We recently upgraded to new state-of-the-art equipment, which has significantly improved our services. Patients can expect to receive their lab results within one to two days, though some specialized tests may take longer.
Our lab testing includes advanced lipid and mineral testing, as well as other specialized lab work that is drawn in-house and processed at other labs.
We're living in the 21st century, and if there's one stigma that's been defeated, it's that males undergo significant hormonal changes as they get older. Our family doctors will discuss these changes with you openly and will monitor you for any underlying medical conditions that may affect your life. Factors like physical strength, weight, sexual drive, job stressors, and home life can all impact our health and should be taken into account. Genetic factors are also important to consider from a medical perspective.
Some of the key areas we focus on regarding male health includes:
Everyone deserves a health maintenance plan that adapts to their changing needs as they grow and experience life. Teenage and college years have unique patterns and health requirements. Working women and young mothers, who often juggle between work and family responsibilities, are not only concerned about their own health but also about staying healthy for their loved ones. It's important to have a plan that addresses all these needs and helps maintain good health for all stages of life. That's where our female health services come in.
At Glade Medical Group, we prioritize your overall well-being by utilizing advanced medical knowledge and coordinating with other healthcare experts when needed. Some of the most common female health areas we focus on include:
Anti-aging medicine is a proactive and preventative approach that aims to preserve your optimum function and quality of life. We achieve this by conducting thorough consultations, lifestyle assessments, physical examinations, and diagnostic testing, including genetic testing when necessary. This helps us create a personalized and proactive treatment plan designed to combat the degenerative changes that accelerate the aging process.
Anti-aging treatment plans from Glade Medical Group may include the following:
Our key treatment services include the HCG Weight Loss Program, BioMeridian Assessment, a review of your Brain Health, and a Cardiology Risk Assessment. We also offer a wide range of supplements that can help slow the aging process.
Whether your child is playing sports or you're an adult in need of a thorough checkup, having an annual physical is an important part of keeping up with your health. Glade Medical Group offers physicals for school, sports, camp, college, and other needs. Patients choose our family medical practice for physicals for many reasons, including:
Whether you're sick right now or you want to prevent yourself from getting sick in the future, Glade Medical Group's primary care services have you covered. Unlike some primary care providers, we take as much time as needed to get to know you, your family, and the health challenges you're facing. To us, you're much more than a number on a sign-in sheet or a name on an insurance form. You're a human in need of exceptional care - and our goal is to provide you with that care every time you visit.
Contact our office today to make an appointment or to learn more about the benefits of choosing Glade Medical Group as your team of primary care doctors in Stuart, FL.
When you first begin to research Medicare, it feels a little bit like you're learning your "ABCs" all over again. Medicare is the government's insurance program for people older than 65. Some individuals are enrolled in Medicare automatically, while others need to actively enroll. This depends on whether they begin receiving retirement or disability benefits from Social Security before they reach the age of 65.
The United States Medicare program receives funding from Social Security and Medicare taxes deducted from your income, as well as from the premiums paid by Medicare beneficiaries and a portion from the federal budget.
Once you become eligible for Medicare and sign up, you can decide whether to receive your Medicare benefits through Original Medicare, the traditional fee-for-service program administered directly by the federal government, or through a Medicare Advantage Plan, which is a type of private insurance provided by companies that have agreements with Medicare.
There's no two ways about it - trying to understand Medicare can be confusing and complex. That's especially true if you're just signing up for the first time. To help you get a better understanding of the program, let's look at a few Medicare options that may cover primary care services from Glade Medical.
Medicare Part B covers visits to the doctor, lab tests, medical equipment, and other outpatient services. If you're still working and have health insurance through your job or your spouse's plan, you may want to wait before signing up for Part B. However, if you don't have other insurance and don't sign up when you first enroll in Medicare, you'll probably have to pay a higher monthly premium for as long as you're in the program.
After you meet your Medicare Part B deductible for the year, Part B generally covers 80% of medically necessary services. You are responsible for a 20% Part B coinsurance for most covered services. Some of the medically necessary services covered by Part B can include:
This section of Medicare covers some of your prescription drug expenses. You enroll in a Part D plan through a private insurer, which usually involves paying premiums and other out-of-pocket costs, such as fixed copays for each medication or a percentage of the prescription costs. There may also be an annual deductible.
If your combined drug expenses add up to $5,030 in 2024, you will be accountable for 25% of the remaining prescription drug costs for the year.
If the cost of your prescriptions keeps increasing, you might become eligible for catastrophic coverage. For 2024, after you have spent $8,000 on medicines - only what you paid, excluding what your Part D insurance plan paid - you won't have to cover any more out-of-pocket costs for the rest of the year. To check whether your prescriptions are covered by Medicare Part D, visit medicare.gov.
Medicare Advantage serves as the private health insurance alternative to the federally operated original Medicare. Consider Advantage as a convenient choice that consolidates different parts of Medicare into a single plan. If you opt for a Medicare Advantage, or MA, plan, you will still need to enroll in parts A and B and pay the Part B premium.
You'll also need to select a Medicare Advantage plan and register with a private insurer. The government mandates these plans to cover everything that Original Medicare covers. Some plans cover services that Original Medicare does not, such as dental and vision care. In recent years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services - the organization that establishes Medicare regulations - has permitted Medicare Advantage plans to include extras like transportation to and from primary care doctors in Stuart, FL.
Medicare and Medicaid are both government health insurance programs, but they work differently. Medicaid is a program funded by the federal government in partnership with states. It is for people with limited incomes. Depending on the state, Medicaid can be available to people below a certain income level who meet other criteria (e.g., age, disability status, pregnancy) or be available to all people below a certain income level.
When it comes to Medicare, eligibility is not based on income. This means that regardless of income, individuals can qualify for Medicare if they meet the other criteria. It's important to know that some people are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. They are called dual-eligibles. If you have Medicare, you will receive a red, white, and blue Original Medicare card.
If you have Medicare and qualify for full Medicaid coverage, your state will pay for your Medicare Part B premiums and may also cover your share of Medicare costs, such as:
Ready to learn more about Glade Medical Group's primary care services covered by Medicare? We're here to help. Contact our office today for more info or to set up a same-day appointment with one of our primary care doctors in South Florida.
The wholesale chain's completion time is tentatively scheduled for summer 2025, and residents are divided about the time it will take to open its doors.STUART, Fla. — The Stuart Costco project has sparked controversy from the beginning.WPTV reported earlier about the developer's timeline announcement, which puts the wholesale chain's completion time in the summer of 20...
The wholesale chain's completion time is tentatively scheduled for summer 2025, and residents are divided about the time it will take to open its doors.
STUART, Fla. — The Stuart Costco project has sparked controversy from the beginning.
WPTV reported earlier about the developer's timeline announcement, which puts the wholesale chain's completion time in the summer of 2025, and residents are divided about the time it will take to open doors.
"I'm happy," Richard Merrell said. "Well, I wish it was sooner."
Gary Ober of Palm City said he was hoping the chain would open sooner, but is happy it's opening at all.
"I would love it," Ober said. "I'm a Costco supporter."
Some residents, however, are not as excited about the project and are content with its timeline.
"I think that's appropriate, maybe I can find a house elsewhere in the meantime," Lisa Mari, a Palm City resident, joked. "[It's] chaotic, way too many people coming; it's within blocks of my house."
For Robin Cartwright, hearing the timeline was expected, but also a bit like putting salt in a wound. Cartwright originally filed a lawsuit against the city in September 2021, questioning its land-use designation for the plot of land.
She won the lawsuit in April 2022 when Judge Francine Folkes filed a recommended order siding with Cartwright.
In 2023, the administration commission reversed that decision and sided with the city. Cartwright appealed but then withdrew her appeal.
Still, she told WPTV she has an issue with what was approved and what will be built that she fears will have an impact on the community. The project includes an 18-pump gas station, restaurant space, and a 378-unit apartment complex in addition to the store.
"Our roadways, our little community can only handle so much," Cartwright said. "The issue I have is with the way it was approved."
She fears the project could lead to the approval of other, bigger projects.
Martin County NAACP President Jimmy Smith had the opposite reaction. He said while the completion date is far out, getting a timeline is one step closer to getting more jobs for his community and more revenue for business owners like himself.
"I'm very excited," Smith said. "I travel south to West Palm Beach to shop for my barbecue business. I travel north to St. Lucie County. Martin County really doesn't have a wholesaler that we can afford to make a profit."
Tom Cosgriff, project manager for M&M Realty, released the following statement to WPTV, reading in full:
"In response to all the excitement and anticipation across the Treasure Coast for the new Costco in Stuart, we wanted to provide a tentative timeline on the process. As promised, we’re constructing the Costco—and the connector road between Kanner Highway and Willoughby Boulevard—before any other elements of the project. Accounting for the fact that every construction project is at the mercy of various weather factors, we hope to have the new Costco complete and ready for the public to enjoy in an estimated 18-month period."
Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
STUART, Fla. —The announcement of a Brightline station coming to Stuart has many in the city looking forward to the future.“I’m very excited,” said Steven Vitale, owner of the Old Colorado Inn.“I’m really, really wanting it to happen,” said Grace Gillespie, owner of Muscle Craft Distillery. Brightline station has been approved f...
STUART, Fla. —
The announcement of a Brightline station coming to Stuart has many in the city looking forward to the future.
“I’m very excited,” said Steven Vitale, owner of the Old Colorado Inn.
“I’m really, really wanting it to happen,” said Grace Gillespie, owner of Muscle Craft Distillery.
Brightline station has been approved for city of Stuart
Earlier Monday afternoon, a Stuart spokesperson revealed to WPBF 25 News that Brightline had chosen Stuart to be its Treasure Coast stop.
Brightline has not confirmed that.
Business owners said they hope it’s true for the economic boost it would bring.
“It will really help support local businesses,” Gillespie said.
Municipalities, property owners apply for Treasure Coast Brightline train station location
“We really think people coming from other areas of Florida will really love the convenience of being able to walk here and enjoy our pedestrian-friendly downtown,” Vitale said.
“For our guests at the hotel, it’ll be great,” said Vitale’s son, Christopher Vitale. “They’ll be able to connect to other parts of Florida.”
In the past, many people did not want Brightline around.
They complained about the excess noise and the increased train traffic.
Judging by the response on the streets Monday night, a train station brings different opinions.
“The train is going by. We have to deal with the effects of that,” Vitale said. “So, why not have a stop here?”
Some residents have previously expressed concerns about the train station, fearing it will bring so many people to Stuart that the city will lose its small-town appeal.
Others, though, don’t share those concerns.
2 escape car before Brightline crash in Jensen Beach
“Getting tired of driving everywhere and traffic,” said Stuart resident Ron Jennette. “So, it’ll be nice to take a ride somewhere.”
“I can take a flight to Orlando and then just get off five minutes from the house,” said Mike Reed, a Stuart resident.
Brightline has not indicated when it will make an official announcement on the location of its Treasure Coast station.
Commissioners on Monday approved a four-story Hilton hotel in downtown Stuart. The project, called the Creekside Hotel & Retail, includes 102 rooms as well as an accompanying retail and restaurant building.STUART, Fla. — Commissioners on Monday approved a four-story Hilton hotel in downtown Stuart.The project, called the Creekside Hotel & Retail, includes 102 rooms as well as an accompanying retail and restaurant building.It will sit on 1.62 acres of land along South Colorado Avenue just South of the Southe...
Commissioners on Monday approved a four-story Hilton hotel in downtown Stuart. The project, called the Creekside Hotel & Retail, includes 102 rooms as well as an accompanying retail and restaurant building.
STUART, Fla. — Commissioners on Monday approved a four-story Hilton hotel in downtown Stuart.
The project, called the Creekside Hotel & Retail, includes 102 rooms as well as an accompanying retail and restaurant building.
It will sit on 1.62 acres of land along South Colorado Avenue just South of the Southeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard roundabout.
Commissioners heard dozens of people wanting it and some in opposition. Then commissioners then approved the project 4-1.
"This property is situated within the Creek District urban overlay and the subject site is zoned Creek South," Kristopher McCrain, with the city's Development Department, said. "Within this zoning district, hotels are considered a permitted use with an allowable maximum height of four stories. Furthermore, the Land Development Code does not contemplate residential density for transient uses such as hotel and motel."
Vice Mayor Campbell Rich said: "This is an office complex, there are other four-story buildings."
Commissioner Christopher Collins was the only one to vote in opposition.
"It's not that charming little place that you used to have," Doug Barnes, who has lived in Stuart for 20 years and said he's opposed to the project.
Barnes lives down the road from where the hotel will be located.
"Without this hotel what's it like living here now?" WPTV reporter Joel Lopez asked.
"It's tough now, there's a lot of traffic," Barnes said. "They just cram more and more stuff in here."
Among the amendments during approval, developers are asked to apply for yearly minimal mangrove trimming with the Department of Environmental Protection.
They are being asked to reduce their number of electric vehicle charging stations from 12 to six (two on site, four off site)
Live music will be prohibited by the pool area and music will be limited from dawn to two hours after dusk.
In an effort to restore Frazier Creek, which runs behind the project, developers are being asked to remove exotic plants along the creek.
"They're talking about leaving a lot of the native plants there, using baffle boxes to make sure the water is clean, and that the creek is not contaminated," Jennifer Holmes said. "At first It was a lot to think about and iI know a lot of the local residents that have been living in this neighborhood here were concerned about traffic and parking and safety, and also the noise."
Holmes is the co-owner of Hani Honey, which is in a retail strip just across the road from where the hotel will be built.
They say they're a honey company, cafe, eatery, retail shop and Meadery with bubble tea.
"I think they're doing the best they can to grow and leave our city still very charming," Holmes said. "It could be something else that isn't desirable, and I feel like this could be a nice fit for our community."
A concern of Holmes is that she'll have to share a garage with hotel guests.
"There are days when we park in there and the first few floors are already full, and this is prior to having 102 rooms," Holmes said.
Developers expect to break ground in 2025.
"I think we should support that growth with those safety measures in mind and making sure that we can bring in new people to visit our beautiful town, shop in our beautiful town, eat in our beautiful town, but also make sure that pedestrians are safe, there's parking for everyone and we can absorb that growth in a timely manner," Holmes said.
Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
...
MARTIN COUNTY − For a brief period of time on Monday, it sounded a bit like things were cranking up for the Stuart Air Show.
Loud jet noise — what sounded much louder than typical private jets — clearly could be heard in portions of Stuart.
According to Martha Ann Kneiss, Martin County spokesperson, two military jets “were transitioning / passing through our airspace heading from the north to the south.”
She did not know the branch of military, and it wasn’t immediately clear the make and model of jet.
The loud jet noises were apparent in areas including near downtown Stuart and further to the south.
Such obviously audible military jet noise likely will be heard again in November, when a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor demonstration team along with other military jets, are expected to be here for the Stuart Air Show at Witham Field, according to information on the Stuart Air Show website.
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at [email protected].
...
"Follow the money."
That was advice I heard over and over again when I was a young journalism student, particularly from one professor at the University of Florida who practically made that expression his personal mantra.
The point is, if you want to understand what motivates people to do what they do, absent other possible explanations, look at who stands to benefit financially. I don't think that advice applies to every case, but it's a good rule of thumb.
And I certainly think it applies to Brightline's decision to select Stuart as the site of its first ― and possibly only ― passenger rail station on the Treasure Coast.
Stuart officials said Monday Brightline plans to operate a station at a site near the Martin County Courthouse. The decision is expected to be made official at a March 11 media event.
The site in Stuart competed with two locations in downtown Fort Pierce, plus two other proposed locations for which the details haven't been publicly shared.
The proposal Brightline has apparently selected was submitted jointly by the Stuart and Martin County governments. County officials have agreed to pay for half the station's construction costs, with the city covering the expense of building a new parking garage at the site.
The county is expected to donate the site, on land it owns near the courthouse, to Stuart, which will lease it to the railroad company for $1 a year for 80 years.
It's an excellent choice for Brightline. The station is close to the heart of Stuart's award-winning historic shopping district, in a thriving and prospering community.
But I'll say this, too: Fort Pierce would have been an excellent choice. People who have an image of downtown Fort Pierce as a dangerous or downtrodden place haven't been there recently.
Downtown Fort Pierce has the feel of a cruise ship port-of-call, with plenty of shops, restaurants, museums and a fantastic old theater.
The Sunrise City is definitely on the rise. Fort Pierce also seemed to have a geographic advantage, because it's closer to the middle of the Treasure Coast than Stuart is.
On top of that, Fort Pierce officials went all out to convince the train company they wanted the stop in their community, with a public relations blitz that included banners, a podcast and copious statements of support from various individuals.
The city of Fort Pierce put together a proposal in which it would have agreed to pay all of the station's construction costs, not half. Audubon Development, which submitted a proposal for a station about two blocks away from the other Fort Pierce site, also was willing to pay the entire cost of the station, as well as give Brightline a share of profits from some apartments the company hoped to develop adjacent to the stop.
On paper, either of those deals would have been better for Brightline financially in the short run.
Brightline might have to contribute $10 million or more toward the Stuart station's cost, depending on the availability of state or federal grants that could cover some of the expenses. That's a big out-of-pocket expense, at least to an individual or a small company, but it's a tiny fraction of what Brightline has invested in building a higher-speed rail service between Miami and Orlando.
No one from Brightline has told me this, but I believe Stuart and Martin County are getting the station because their community's financial demographics are stronger.
Indian River County was never a contender for a station site because a legal settlement agreement between Brightline and Martin County called for a station to be operational in either Martin or St. Lucie County within five years of the launch of the company's Orlando-Miami service.
It may be less likely Indian River County residents will use the service now, particularly if they want to head north to Orlando, because they would have to drive farther to get to the Stuart station.
According to U.S. Census data, Martin County's median income, from 2018 to 2022, was $77,894. St. Lucie County's median income during that same period was $66,154.
About 13.4% of St. Lucie County's population lives in poverty, while in Martin County, it's only 10.1%.
(In case you were curious, Indian River County's median income was $67,543 and its poverty rate was 11.5% for the comparable time period.)
I could keep going, but you get the idea. By most statistical measures, Martin County residents would seem, as a group, to have more money available to spend on Brightline tickets.
We could argue all day about whether there's enough of a disparity in those statistics to justify picking Stuart over Fort Pierce. However, on a decision like this, I think you have to look at it through Brightline's eyes:
If confronted with two nearly equal choices, but one has even a slight advantage, why wouldn't you go with that option?
Stuart started the process at a slight disadvantage since Brightline ruled out most of the city's historic downtown area as a potential station location. The reasoning has to do with construction plans for a new railroad bridge, which will alter the track configuration in that area.
Even so, the planned station location is close enough for people to walk comfortably from there to the shopping district.
Stuart and Martin County officials got into Brightline's good graces by seeking grant funding to build the new bridge, which will remove the only single-track bottleneck along Brightline's entire route.
I've heard all the arguments about how Fort Pierce might have a workforce more inclined to use public transportation than Stuart does. But Brightline isn't trying to run a commuter rail service, with frequent stops in major metropolitan areas for people to embark and disembark.
Brightline is trying to run a near-express service between cities that are too close for airline travel, but maybe too far to comfortably drive. It's a service likely to appeal to tourists, and maybe high-end professional workers who spend a lot of time traveling between two or more of the cities along the route.
Would Fort Pierce have fared better if the hotel planned for the King's Landing development downtown were built and operational, or if Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce offered commercial air service, as Vero Beach Regional Airport does? Maybe, but unless Brightline officials suddenly become chattier than they have been to date, we may never know the answers to those hypotheticals.
What we know is, in 2024, Stuart looked like a better option for the company. If the choice wasn't black and white, it was certainly written in green.
This column reflects the opinion of Blake Fontenay. Contact him via email at [email protected] or at 772-232-5424.
561-783-3554