A number of medical real estate projects are under way in parts of Alabama. The following outlines some of the ventures taking place around the state.
St. Vincent’s Hospital – Chilton
St. Vincent’s Hospital and Chilton County are partnering to open a 30-bed hospital to serve the people of that county, which has been without a hospital since 2013.
The hospital will be located on Highway 145 in Clanton near the area’s old hospital. Renovations to the old hospital were estimated at $11 million, so county officials voted to build a new facility. Voters passed a one-cent sales tax that will generate up to $3.5 million for the hospital. The St. Vincent’s St. Claire hospital in Pell City is a model for the Clanton facility.
Chilton County health care officials have entered into a formal agreement with St. Vincent’s Health System which will operate the new medical facility. St. Vincent’s-Chilton is scheduled to open in 2016.
MedHelp Clinic – U.S. 280, Birmingham
The MedHelp Clinic on U.S. 280 in Birmingham has replaced its 9,000-square-foot clinic with a new 40,000-square-foot facility. A new parking area will be constructed on the site of the old building.
The new clinic will have a full-service laboratory with diagnostic imaging capabilities that include nuclear medicine and ultrasound. Other services will include urgent care, family medicine, cosmetic dermatology, and diagnostic imaging. “We also have an area where a specialist can rotate through our space on a daily basis,” says Tonya Cardwell White, Chief Operating Officer. “This is part of a new venture for MedHelp to provide a comprehensive Medical Center.”
New Psychiatric Unit at Shelby Baptist Medical Center
Shelby Baptist Medical Center opened a new inpatient psychiatric acute care unit earlier this year in the hospital’s South Tower. The $1.6 million investment creates approximately 30 new jobs.
The 20-bed unit is the only one of its kind in Shelby County and is a new service for Shelby Baptist. The unit will provide inpatient services to adults 19 and older.
Brookdale Rehab and Health Care Center Opens
A long-time dream became reality recently with the opening of Brookdale Place University Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center. The 66-bed center is the final part of the 466-unit development in Homewood.
The 47,000-square-foot center offers long-term skilled nursing care, along with physical, occupational, and speech therapy in its long-term care and short-term care units.
Vestavia Hills Plans Health Care Facilities at Patchwork Farms
Vestavia Hills officials have plans to build two health care facilities at Patchwork Farms, an 80-acre area near Cahaba River and Caldwell Mill roads between U.S. 280 and Interstate 459.
Northport Holdings purchased seven acres for $1.4 million and plans to build a 70,000-square-foot nursing facility. The company plans to relocate 120 beds from Jefferson County’s Ketona nursing home. Northport Holdings is also planning a 118-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility on property near U.S. 31 and the I-65 interchange in Hoover.
Capital Growth MedVest LLC also purchased seven acres for $1.4 million and plans to lease the property to Brookwood Medical Center to build a 56,000-square-foot rehabilitation facility and geriatric psychiatric unit.
The two facilities are expected to generate $18 million in revenue each year and create approximately 460 new jobs.
Bruno Cancer Center Provides Pinpoint Accurate Cancer Treatment
Cancer patients at St. Vincent’s Hospital’s Birmingham campus are receiving first-class treatment in the new Bruno Cancer Center that opened in August 2014. The 71,000-square-foot center is located on three floors and has 21 examination rooms that are outfitted with features that include advanced radiation technology with Varian TrueBeam STx; specialized assistance services including registered dieticians, pet therapy, and art therapy; free valet parking; support groups; nutrition classes and physical activity programs; Newk’s café; and a meditation room.
Strayer University Building Converts Space for Medical Tenants
24,000 square feet of the Strayer University office building on Grandview Parkway have been converted to medical office space. Summit Internal Medicine has signed a contract for 4,000 square feet, and American Health Imaging has leased another 4,000 square feet.
According to Walter Brown of Graham & Co., another 7,100 square feet of space is available across the street. “We can lease as small an area as 2,000 square feet or as much as 7,100 square feet,” he says.
Medplex Office Building to Be Sold
The 30,000-square-foot Medplex I office building on Valleydale Road is almost vacant and will be on the market soon. The one tenant still occupying space will terminate its lease if someone wants to occupy the three-floor building.
Addition to St. Vincent’s One Nineteen
A 40,000-square-foot addition to St. Vincent’s One Nineteen health facility is scheduled for completion in fall 2015. The new building will house physician services, an ambulatory surgery center, and an urgent care center.
St. Vincent’s expects residents of Northern Shelby County and those along the U.S. 280 corridor to be the primary users of the facility. Officials may add a small hospital to the complex in the future.
Alabama’s First Freestanding Emergency Department Open in Hoover
Medical West opened Alabama’s first freestanding emergency department facility in April near the intersection of U.S. 150 and I-459 in Hoover. An affiliate of UAB Health Systems, the Med West emergency room consists of 10 examination rooms, two trauma rooms, CT and tray scans, vascular and general ultrasound, laboratory rooms, and additional space for expansion.
Brookwood Medical Center has begun construction on a freestanding emergency department to be located at the intersection of U.S. 280 and Hwy. 119, and Baptist Health System is making plans for one also.
