Construction Progresses on Two Major East Alabama Health Expansion Projects

Two East Alabama Health projects designed to broaden regional access to critical care and mental health services are now in their final stages of construction. 

The projects include a 30-bed intensive care unit expansion at East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC), and a freestanding psychiatric facility at East Alabama Health’s north campus off of Dunlop Drive that will provide both inpatient and outpatient mental health services.

“As our community grows, so does its need for health care,” said Laura Grill, president and CEO of East Alabama Health. “These expansion projects underscore our commitment to ensuring patients throughout our region have access to the highest level of care from the providers and caregivers they know and trust.”

ICU Expansion at EAMC

 

Having recognized a need for more critical care beds, East Alabama Health officials announced plans in March 2024 to add three new floors to EAMC in a section referred to as the West Pavilion. Now, the project is just months away from completion.

“The construction of the project is in its final stages with some interior finishes, exterior panels, paint and some system integrations remaining,” said Jay Walters, executive director of facilities at East Alabama Health. 

Upon completion, the 67,395-square-foot expansion will house a mechanical space on the third floor, shell space on the fourth floor for future growth and 30 new beds on the fifth floor. The hospital’s South Bed Tower will connect to the West Pavilion on the fourth and fifth floors just as it does on floors one and two. 

While designing the project, architects and planners were tasked with ensuring the new construction blended seamlessly with the existing facility. 

“Special thought went into the design to integrate the functionality of the vertical expansion with the existing building,” Walters said. “Air management was a big part of the HVAC system design from lessons learned during COVID. Furthermore, patient rooms were designed to maximize natural light.” 

Just as the interior was planned with patient comfort in mind, the exterior design reflects the organization’s commitment to innovation and growth.

“The exterior of the building was carefully designed to integrate the existing building’s exterior while reflecting the more updated aesthetic seen in some of our more recently built facilities, like the Spencer Cancer Center and Pinnacle Cardiovascular Associates.”  

As the final phases of construction wrap up at EAMC, the same is happening at the site of East Alabama Health’s new freestanding psychiatric facility. 

Freestanding Psychiatric Hospital

“This project is also in the closing stages of construction, with only interior finishes, painting, and system integration remaining. Landscaping is close to completion as well,” Walters stated.

The expansion of mental health services will help meet the desperate need for psychiatric care in Alabama. The new facility will be located on Hope Lane which is fitting following a three-year capital campaign by the EAMC Foundation called “Give Hope.”

Upon completion, the 54,000 square-foot facility will include 40 private inpatient beds consisting of 10 adult male and 10 adult female beds, 11 short-term adolescent beds and 9 long-term adolescent beds. The facility will also house East Alabama Psychiatric Services (EAPS) which provides outpatient care to patients. 

The inpatient department will move from the main EAMC campus and the new bed count of 40 will be an increase from the current count of 28. EAPS will also be transitioning to the new facility from its nearby clinic on Village Professional Drive.

“This facility has been a vision for a long time to meet the needs of our growing community, and to meet the needs of those facing mental health issues,” Grill said. “We are thankful for everyone who has supported us throughout this process and are excited to see this vision come to fruition.”

The facility will also serve as a teaching location in more ways than one. Adolescents will have access to an on-site accredited school, which already exists in the hospital psychiatry department,  so they can continue their education while receiving 24-hour support. In addition, residents of East Alabama Health’s Psychiatry Residency Program will train and provide both inpatient and outpatient treatment at the facility. 

When describing the vision behind the project, Walters highlighted the balance between comfort and functionality. 

“There was a strong focus on a residential feel for the exterior of the building which led to the prominent sloped shingled roof,” Walters said. “The design also incorporates an abundance of natural light while still maintaining privacy and safety for our patients. 

“Access in and out of the building was a point of focus as well to provide safety and security for our patients and visitors.”

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About East Alabama Health

East Alabama Health encompasses East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital 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 that is currently under construction to add 30 critical care beds. EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital provides emergency and outpatient services while its campus also features a nursing home and an ambulatory surgery center. East Alabama Health employs about 3,800 people and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Auburn University. For more information, visit www.eastalabamahealth.org.