Staff Report

The Alabama Certificate of Need Board today verbally approved a request by the Vaughan Regional Medical Center for a $13 million investment to improve and expand its outpatient services.

Steve Mahan, chief executive officer of the Vaughan, said today’s unanimous vote by the five-member panel is great news for residents of Selma and surrounding communities.

This will mean significant improvement in efficiency and effectiveness in the way we care for patients and in the way we provide services.&uot;

The request focuses on several improvements to hospital services at the current location:

* A relocated and enlarged intensive care unit to be housed in a new area on the first floor;

* A new ground-floor emergency addition adjacent to the proposed ICU addition.

* Renovation of the existing emergency department; and

* A grade-level outpatient surgery addition that would have two additional operating rooms.

The state board is expected to send its official approval notice in the next two weeks. The CON rules require the Vaughan to break ground on the project in the next 12 months. &uot;I’m hoping we can get that whole process started within the next six months,&uot; Mahan said.

Currently, outpatients must travel back and forth several times between the first and fifth floors to register, be prepped, have a surgical procedure performed, receive post-operative care and be discharged.

Mahan said the board’s decision is an acknowledgement of the efforts of Province Healthcare, the Vaughan’s parent company.