Cullman Regional seeks approval to build surgery center at health park

By Staff Reports  

On the heels of its freestanding emergency department being approved by the state, Cullman Regional announced Monday its plans to build an ambulatory surgery center at Hartselle Health Park.  

“An outpatient surgery center in Hartselle is another way to provide south Morgan County with local access to important quality healthcare services,” said Dr. Bill Smith, chief medical officer at Cullman Regional. “Advances in anesthesia and minimally-invasive surgical techniques have resulted in an increasing number of surgical treatments that can be done safely in an outpatient setting. This gives patients more choice and more convenience.” 

Many communities in Alabama have outpatient surgery centers like the one Cullman Regional is proposing. Most offer a wide variety of surgery options including endoscopy/colonoscopy, hernia repair and gall bladder removal. These surgeries and procedures are typically performed on an outpatient basis even when done in a hospital, according to a press release from the healthcare system.  

The proposed ASC would be built on property owned by Cullman Regional on the east side of Highway 31 and across from Hartselle Health Park’s two physician clinics. A construction timeline for the project will be announced if the CON application is approved. 

City and state leaders attended official announcement April 24. Pictured from left to right are Ken Doss, Hartselle City Council member; Tim Culpepper, Chairman, Cullman Regional Board of Directors; Dr. Brian Clayton, Hartselle City Schools Superintendent; Dwight Tankersly, Hartselle City Council Member; Hartselle Mayor Randy Garrison; Randy Vest, Morgan County Commissioner; Rep. Scott Stadthagen; Representative Parker Moore; James Clements, and Cullman Regional CEO.

Cullman Regional received approval on a separate CON application to build a freestanding emergency department at Hartselle Health Park April 19. The construction for that project is set to begin soon. 

“The Hartselle community showed tremendous support for the Hartselle Health Park freestanding ED throughout the approval process with the CON Review Board,” said James Clements, Cullman Regional CEO. “We’re so grateful for that and we will need it again to bring an outpatient surgery center to Hartselle.”