$186-Million Expansion For Foley Medical Center

South Baldwin Regional Medical Center in Foley will soon begin a $186-million expansion. Hospital administrators say this will allow the center, built in 1958 and never significantly expanded, to address the community’s rising healthcare need for years to come. Critical-care services, now very much in demand, will be addressed (adding 14 beds), according to FOX10, as will long-term outpatient surgical services. Hospital CEO Eric Roach, who was appointed to the post only a week ago, said, “At the end of the project, we’re going to have a new patient tower. We’re going to have increased parking. We’re increasing our parking by 50%. We’re also modernizing our operating rooms (ORs) and increasing our OR capacity.” The four-story patient tower will hold 133,000 ft2 and include a new surgical department, nursing units and a larger intensive care unit. The fourth floor will initially remain empty so there will be more room for future bed space. A Certificate of Need has been approved by the state regulatory agency, and South Baldwin has begun acquiring property surrounding the hospital for more parking. Planning and financing are expected to take another year, and the goal is to finish construction in 2023.