SYLACAUGA — While celebrating one year as Coosa Valley Medical Center, employees and the community learned groundbreaking for a new hospital is tentatively planned for Sept. 19.Glenn Sisk, president and chief executive officer of CVMC, said Thursday the new hospital, known as the "West Wing" project, will be a full replacement facility. It will have medical and surgical beds, intensive care unit beds, a women’s center, imaging center, new cafeteria serving patients and the public, materials management department, loading docks and an endoscopy center.
Anticipated completion date is March 2007.
"We are optimistic things are going to go well in the weeks ahead with investors and the closing of the bond issue. We hope to keep to our schedule," Sisk said.
Prior to announcing the groundbreaking, Sisk talked about what has happened in the past year since the Sylacauga Health Care Authority reacquired the hospital from Baptist Health System.
The authority reached an agreement with Baptist Health System and became the owners of the medical center and other facilities in early August 2004.
"Eighteen months ago we were hopeful but anxious to become a local operation. Then we were part of the largest health system in the state and a lot of our services were centralized in Birmingham, including employees’ benefit packages and provider numbers. Months later we had local ownership," he said.
Since that time, Sisk said, the hospital has accomplished a lot, from becoming a digital hospital with Point of Care, ChartLink and other programs using laptop computers to organized hospital care. Today there is a local business office operation, eight new doctors, and patient satisfaction scores supported by guest excellence initiatives exceeding annual goals and among top performers in 25 hospital groups.
"We are almost complete on our bond issue that will make our West Wing a reality. We spoke with 24 investors this week, and 12 of those will visit the hospital next week to see our story first hand," Sisk said.
He said in 414 days, "we have accomplished what has been worked on for 12 years – reality of new facilities."
The credit for this, Sisk said, goes to the Sylacauga Health Care Authority members for their courage and guidance, the hospital’s medical staff for "allowing us to care for their patients and for providing clinical oversight, our auxiliary for their incredible story of giving, our volunteer chaplains as ministers to spiritual help and the CVMC team members who go about your work in a stressful environment, maintaining a pace that can be overwhelming and doing so in a way that exceeds expectations."
John Floyd, chairman of the Sylacauga Health Care Authority, said the hospital was celebrating a strong tradition of providing medical care in the community, which dates back to 1945.
"There was a vision back then that started us on the road to a new medical facility today. What is taking place here today would not be possible without the city’s number one workforce, the employees of this hospital, all 500 plus. Thanks to the medical staff that supports this facility and provides quality health care and to the best auxiliary in the country providing countless volunteer man-hours. Also, thank you to this community and the surrounding areas who trust this team with health care," Floyd said.
The hospital has approximately 550 employees, more than 40 active medical staff members and 60 auxiliary members.
Sylacauga Hospital was opened in 1945. It was the only hospital to open in the United States that year.
Sisk said Coosa Valley Medical Center today continues to be spiritually-based. Chaplain Glenn Winter and chaplain volunteers serve the facility.
Winter offered prayer for the hospital and its future.
Employees and the community were treated to a video of the year’s highlights, ending with an architectural rendering of the West Wing project. A cake depicting the future hospital was served with Blue Bell ice cream, punch, fruit, cheese and chips.
