Ascension St. Vincent's moves forward with freestanding emergency department in Pelham
PELHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — Ascension St. Vincent's is moving forward to build a freestanding emergency department in Pelham.
Recently there has been a number of these critical care facilities being added to the greater metro area.
This will be the second freestanding emergency department built in Shelby County within the past two years.
These freestanding facilities serve a dual purpose.
Patients have emergency care closer to home and these freestanding emergency departments help lighten the load seen at area hospital emergency rooms
“It just is another outlet for quality care in the community," said Christopher Dodson the Director of Business Development for Ascension St. Vincent’s.
Throughout the pandemic many hospitals saw an influx in patients in need of a higher level of care.
While medical professionals tended to those dire needs— patients in need of a lower level of care had to wait. Sometimes those wait times could last hours.
“Sitting in an emergency room for hours and hours and hours. That’s not a good thing. And a lot of times you can’t even get a bed for a day or so," said Pelham resident Jane Curren.
These freestanding emergency departments will help.
SEE ALSO: Bessemer mini-storage facility destroyed by fire
SEE ALSO: Honoring trailblazers: University of Alabama commemorates 60th anniversary of historic integration
For example, the 40,000 square foot facility will have a fully equipped emergency department, a full imaging center and primary care specialists.
It will be built on the site at the “tank farm” exit 242 on Interstate 65. It will offer diagnostics, primary, and special care services.
“If you have an emergency healthcare need please show up. And if it is something that is just a higher acuity setting that we can treat you there well transfer you directly to our hospital,” stated Dodson.
The emergency department will be in need of 50 employees like nurses and patient care technicians.
Dodson says those positions will be filled with staff from the main hospital. They will also be recruiting staff from outside of the state.
The goal is for the freestanding emergency department to be up and running by summer 2025.
