It isn’t difficult to notice that the population of Cullman County has continued to grow, and with more people there is an increased demand for quality healthcare. As the primary medical provider in the county, Cullman Regional Medical Center recognized this need and has been addressing it through a series of major expansion projects.

CRMC increased the capacity of its emergency room by 80% in July with the completion of the first phase of these expansions. This phase of the project also allowed the hospital to renovate all of the existing patient care areas with in the ER.

Construction on a new tower wing is currently ongoing at CRMC which, when completed later this year, will add 30 new beds to the hospital’s overall floor plan. Thirteen of these beds will become part of the expanded critical card unit and will increase CRMC’s total capacity from 145 to 175.

Renovations to patient accommodations are also in the works with a remodeling of the hospitals main entrance scheduled to begin this spring. A new canopy will be installed over the entrance with the lobby and cafeteria both receiving their own renovations.

CRMC has been increasing more than just its square footage: A new team of providers were added to the Wound Care Services division, including general surgeon Dr. Greg Thompson, family practice physician Dr. Carlos Villar and CRNPs Conrad Cash and Jessica Martin. To better represent this clinic as the only Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Provider in the area, the department is now known as the Hyperbaric and Wound Care Center.

Even with an increased amount of room within the ER, CRMC’s Emergency Medical Services department is aware that there are occasions when an injury is so traumatic, treatment is needed immediately.

CEMS became the first ambulance provider in the state to provide blood treatment in the field. The allows paramedics to perform an emergency transfusion on-site to patients experiencing a significant amount of blood loss.

Recognizing the quality of care available at CRMC, the hospital was given multiple CMS performance and compliance rankings well over the state and national standards and ranked within the top 10 percent nationally in the Sepsis Early Management Bundle, which will be featured in an upcoming PBS documentary with Dennis Quaid.