Montgomery to Host New Cardiovascular Specialty Center
Montgomery, AL – Exciting developments are on the horizon for cardiovascular care in our area, as plans progress for a specialty ambulatory surgery center (ASC) designed to serve outpatient patients. This new facility, a joint venture between the Birmingham Heart Clinic and Ascension St. Vincent’s, is set to be built on the St. Vincent’s East Hospital campus, located at 50 Medical Park Drive East.
A Step Towards Enhanced Cardiovascular Care
The Birmingham Heart Clinic will hold the majority ownership of the clinic while Ascension St. Vincent’s will take on minority ownership. This partnership comes after the State Health Planning and Development Agency granted a certificate of need (CON) to establish this center. Notably, the state approved the CON, yet no significant progress has been reported on the project in recent months.
The Details of the Project
The new clinic is set to be housed in a newly renovated 9,000-square-foot building that is already linked to the hospital. This renovation will incorporate state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure tailored for cardiovascular outpatient procedures. The budget allocated for this renovation is over $11 million, with construction costs estimated at $5.7 million and equipment costs at $5.5 million.
Chief Strategy Officer Chris Dodson of Ascension St. Vincent’s conveyed enthusiasm for the project. He mentions that the upcoming steps include collaborating with an architect to finalize the design and initiating construction work within a few months. He anticipates that the clinic will officially open its doors to patients by 2026.
Services to be Offered
This ASC will provide a variety of services focused on cardiovascular procedures. Planned offerings include diagnostic coronary angiograms and other crucial coronary intervention methods, such as pacemakers and defibrillators. The design includes three dedicated catheterization labs for procedures, alongside patient waiting areas and imaging centers.
Emphasizing Outpatient Care
Dr. Robert Yoe, a prominent interventional cardiologist with over 10 years of experience at the Birmingham Heart Clinic, underscored the significance of outpatient facilities in modern cardiology. “In cardiology, what we’re seeing is this migration of procedures that were once only done in a hospital being done in an outpatient setting,” he remarked. His goal is clear: improve patient access to care in a more efficient manner.
He detailed the key advantages of a specialized outpatient facility, stating, “The main benefits include lower costs for physicians and patients and a quicker turnaround time.” As a result, patients can expect to spend less time hospitalized while still receiving high-quality care.
Collaboration and Community Benefit
Dodson highlighted the long-standing partnership between Ascension St. Vincent’s and the Birmingham Heart Clinic, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in launching this project. “This is a project that everyone is very excited about getting off the ground,” he added. “Surgery centers for cardiology are still pretty new in the country, so for us to be providing that service to a state and community that has really high cardiology needs is something that we’re excited to be doing.”
As preparations continue for this ambitious project, local residents can look forward to enhanced access to advanced cardiovascular care right in their community. Aiming to alleviate the burden on hospitals while providing quality outpatient options, this center seems poised to bring a significant boost to Montgomery’s healthcare landscape in the coming years.
