FLORENCE-On March 6, 2018, the North Alabama Medical Center announced the date of the Grand Opening of the new hospital currently under construction on Veterans Drive in Florence. Elected officials, local area leaders, community representatives, and hospital staff all gathered to hear the announcement of the date operations would begin at the new regional hospital.
Russell Pigg, CEO of ECM Hospital, welcomed the crowd and provided a brief timeline of the construction process. The new hospital broke ground in November 2016 and placed its highest beam in a topping out ceremony in July 2017. The new hospital brings approximately 550 workers to the construction site each day who are currently working on completing drywall, installing windows, painting, and finishing the exterior. In addition to the hospital facility, a new $20 million office building is also under construction and a comprehensive cancer center, in partnership with the University of Alabama Birmingham, was recently approved to be built on the campus of the North Alabama Medical Center.
Tyndal Davis, board chairman, said the process started seven to ten years ago when a study was completed to evaluate the economic impact of the construction of a new 263 bed hospital and the recruitment of new physicians to the area. He said that 80 new physicians have already been hired and the construction process has created 4500 jobs both directly and indirectly. Davis also said once the facility is in operation, it will employ numerous employees and make purchases from local vendors. The anticipated impact includes more than 2500 full-time jobs and more than $120 million spent in the Shoals community. In the Study, economist estimated construction and operation of the medical facility will contribute more than $1 billion to the Shoals economy during the next five years, said Davis.
On December 6, 2018, ECM will officially close its doors and the new North Alabama Medical Center will officially open. For more information, please visit the ECM website or the North Alabama Medical Center – ECM Facebook page.
Media Release/Shoals Economic Development Authority
