An artist’s rendering of the proposed expansion.

The Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency is seeking public comment on Cullman Regional’s recently announced project to expand its emergency department and establish an outpatient behavioral heath program.

Announced in early June, the planned expansion will increase the capacity of the Critical Care Unit by 50 percent, increase the capacity of the Emergency Department by 50 percent and add more private rooms to reduce the usage of semi-private rooms throughout the facility. The project will also include the development of an outpatient behavioral health program and the addition of an 8-bed behavioral health unit in the Emergency Department. 

The hospital will also receive an infrastructure upgrade to accommodate the additional capacity. That upgrade will include the expansion of the onsite power plant by approximately 1,100 square feet, the replacement of the cooling towers, the addition of two new chillers, the addition of new elevator controls and the modification of the remaining two service elevators to allow them to access all levels of the hospital.

The cost of the proposed project would be $34,000,721. 

If approved, construction will begin in the third quarter of 2020. Phase 1 of construction will include the expansion of the Emergency Department; phase 2 will include infrastructure improvements and Phase 3 will be the addition of the critical care beds which will be a ground floor to fourth floor expansion of the west units of the current facility.

In September, Cullman Regional applied for a Certificate of Need, which requires healthcare providers to show that the planned project is needed in the community, and the public is invited to comment while the certificate is being evaluated.

Anyone who wishes to submit written statements or indicate a desire to appear before the Certificate of Need Review Board, must do so on or before Dec. 9 and provide a copy of statements to Colin H. Luke, Esquire, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, 1901 6th Ave N, Suite 1400, Birmingham, AL 35203. The application number is AL2019-029.