OPELIKA, Ala.—To meet the needs of a rapidly growing region, East Alabama Health officials are announcing plans to build three additional floors to the West Pavilion at East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC). In doing so, 30 critical care beds will be added along with space for future expansion.
“Providing access to high-quality, compassionate health care for our community and region is crucial, and this expansion speaks to how important that mission is to our organization,” said Laura Grill, president and CEO of East Alabama Health. “This project will increase our critical care offerings and allow us additional space to grow, as needed, in the coming years.”
The three floors will be constructed atop the current two-story portion of the hospital known as the West Pavilion. Upon completion, the expansion will offer 67,395 square feet of additional room divided among three floors: a mechanical space located on the third floor, additional space for growth on the fourth floor and 30 new beds on the fifth floor.
Looking closer at the fifth floor, it will consist of a 20-bed ICU with a satellite pharmacy and a 10-bed unit that can be used interchangeably for step-down or intensive-care patients.
Currently, the first floor includes two cardiovascular operating rooms, 10 CVICU rooms and the Cardiac Rehab department. The second floor has 20 ICU beds and a satellite pharmacy.
Population growth in the region in recent years has underscored the need for more critical care beds at EAMC. This expansion will address that issue head-on and provide space for additional expansion.
Having already been approved for the expansion by the Certificate of Need Review Board, construction is slated to begin in summer 2024. It has a projected completion date of late fall 2025, with plans for first patients to be cared for in early 2026. The project is estimated to cost $32.5 million.
About East Alabama Health
East Alabama Health encompasses East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier in Valley, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pavilion and a host of other key medical clinics and practices that help provide a continuum of care to patients throughout an 11-county area. EAMC is a 314-bed regional referral hospital, while EAMC-Lanier provides inpatient services as well as a nursing home, an acute rehab unit, a senior behavioral health unit and an ambulatory surgery center. East Alabama Health employs about 3,700 people and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Auburn University.
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