CULLMAN, Ala. — The Cullman Regional Medical Center officially broke ground on Jan. 4 on a $14 million expansion project to the hospital in Cullman. When completed in fall of 2018, the hospital will include 30 more beds and add a fifth floor to its current design.

The fifth-floor will be added to the patient tower on the east wing, according to a hospital statement. The new wing will increase the availability of private rooms, decrease wait times for beds and improve emergency room wait times and patient safety, according to an article by the Cullman Times.

In addition to the recent groundbreaking, Cullman Regional Medical Center also announced on Jan. 26 that the State of Alabama Department of Public Health has granted approval for the hospital group to develop an Urgent Care Center (UCC) and Outpatient Imaging Center, according to a hospital statement.

The UCC will be located on the Cullman Regional campus, which will allow patients improved access to health care services. The close proximity to the Emergency Department will allow non-emergent cases to be referred to the UCC during high-volume times in the emergency room, which will reduce wait times for emergency patient care, according to an article by Cullman Today.

“Cullman Regional’s Emergency Department continues to see a growing number of patients, said Cullman Regional Board Chair Judy-Butler Patterson, in a statement. “Therefore, we needed a solution that would reduce wait times for patients who need direct access to care. The new center will accomplish that task by being open during peak Emergency Department times so that non-emergent care can be taken care of more quickly. This combined with our 30-bed expansion should help solve those issues without having to expand the Emergency Department.”

The new UCC will be approximately 10,770 square feet, according to Cullman Today’s interview with Cullman Regional CEO James Clements. In addition, the UCC will feature the following:

• 6 exam rooms
• Minor procedure room
• Main waiting/reception area
• MRI room
• CT room
• Ultrasound room
• General x-ray room
• Additional separate male and female dressing/waiting areas
• Nurses’ station
• Lab area
• Pharmacy
• Physician and nurse practitioner offices