In their quest to build a replacement hospital, Trinity Medical Center officials have agreed to hear from Birmingham city leaders once again regarding the hospital’s location.
Trinity officials first talked with leaders from Birmingham and surrounding cities when they decided to move the hospital from its current site on Montclair Road in Birmingham. Formerly known as Montclair Baptist Medical Center, Trinity is jointly owned by Triad Hospitals Inc. and Baptist Health System in Birmingham.
In early November, hospital leaders announced their intention to build a more than $315 million replacement hospital in Irondale near the Grants Mill Road exit off Interstate 459. But the Birmingham City Council is urging the hospital to remain in the city, The Birmingham News reported.
The News reported Nov. 28 that Trinity officials gave city leaders a 45-day deadline to find a suitable location.
But Leisha Harris, Trinity spokeswoman, said that hospital officials will not delay on the purchase of the Irondale property or the application for a certificate of need (CON) from the state for the new hospital.
Still "until we find a deal on the land, anyone can come back to us with a proposal for the land and we will consider it," she said, explaining that officials have no preference for one city or the other at present.
Ultimately Trinity officials want to do what is best for the patients, Harris noted. "When we look at our primary service area and serving (patients from) 89 zip codes, it’s about how best to deliver the care."
Trinity also recently ended its opposition to the proposal by St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham to add 12 new operating rooms in a planned orthopedics center, as well as 34 beds to its 338-bed license, the News reported.
This clears the way for St. Vincent’s to move ahead with its projects once it receives CONs from the state. (TAB)
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