Ascension St. Vincent’s breaks ground on its first freestanding emergency department

The grounding breaking ceremony for the new Ascension St. Vincent’s East Freestanding Emergency Department was held October 13 at the site that will be home to the 16,800-square-foot facility in Trussville.

“While it’s a very exciting time as we expand our footprint, this project is more than just a ‘bricks and mortar’ milestone — this new facility will fill the critical need for convenient access to life saving emergency services in Trussville,” said Jason Alexander, president and CEO, Ascension St. Vincent’s. “Because Trussville is growing at a rapid rate, we know the need for 24/7 emergency care close to where people live and work is paramount. It’s critical we establish another access point for those in need of emergency medical care, especially in this busy part of Trussville. As with all of our healthcare services, our mission is to provide our patients and the communities we serve with convenient access to high quality, compassionate care.”

Construction began in November 2022 for the freestanding emergency department in Trussville — the first of its kind built by the health system. The $20 million project will provide more convenient and easy access to 24/7 emergency care to residents in the area.

“We are always happy to welcome new healthcare services to our city,” Trussville Mayor Buddy Choat said. “While Ascension St. Vincent’s already has a presence in Trussville, we all know the importance of  making sure emergency services are available in our community. This new facility will help ensure our citizens have access to quality medical care close to home when they need it most.”

“Ascension St. Vincent’s and Trussville have a strong partnership and this new strategic investment in the city will help deepen the hospital’s ties to the community even further,” Alexander added. “We are humbled and honored by the community’s response to our new facility and that so many leaders support our efforts to enhance our emergency services in this area.”

The facility will also feature 12 treatment rooms, decontamination treatment area, onsite lab and imaging, including x-ray and CT, and a helipad for air ambulance transfers. Emergency care will be available to all ages, and the facility will be staffed by a physician, nurses, radiology and lab technicians. The Ascension St. Vincent’s East Freestanding Emergency Department will be easily accessible off I-59, Chalkville Road exit 141 at 6670 Green Drive, Trussville, AL 35173.

The site of the project sits on roughly nine acres that hospital leadership says can be further developed in the future to continue to meet the growing needs of the community.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,  hospital emergency departments became more essential than ever. While the ED at Ascension St. Vincent’s East has always played a vital community role, the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges,” said Suzannah Campbell, president, Ascension St. Vincent’s East. “More than two years later, those challenges continue, making it harder to serve our communities. It has been our goal to extend Ascension St. Vincent’s East ED services to deliver emergency care closer to our patients. We are grateful for our physicians and EMS teams' determination to see this project come to life and for the financial support from Ascension St. Vincent’s Foundation, our generous donors and grateful patients.”

– Submitted by Ascension St. Vincent’s.