Cullman Regional Seeks Approval to Build Ambulatory Surgery Center in Hartselle

Cullman Regional is taking steps to build an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) at Hartselle Health Park, a multi-service outpatient facility opened by the hospital in 2021. In Alabama, healthcare providers must seek state approval to build or add certain healthcare services including ASCs. Cullman Regional has initiated the approval process by submitting a Letter of Intent to Alabama’s Certificate of Need (CON) Review Board.

“An outpatient surgery center in Hartselle is another way to provide south Morgan County with local access to important quality healthcare services,” said Dr. Bill Smith, chief medical officer at Cullman Regional. “Advances in anesthesia and minimally-invasive surgical techniques have resulted in an increasing number of surgical treatments that can be done safely in an outpatient setting. This gives patients more choice and more convenience.”

Many communities in Alabama have outpatient surgery centers like the one Cullman Regional is proposing. Most offer a wide variety of surgery options including endoscopy/colonoscopy, hernia repair and gall bladder removal. These surgeries and procedures are typically performed on an outpatient basis even when done in a hospital.

The proposed ASC would be built on property owned by Cullman Regional on the east side of Hwy. 31 and across from Hartselle Health Park’s two physician clinics. A construction timeline for the project will be announced if the CON application is approved.

Cullman Regional recently received approval on a separate CON application to build a freestanding emergency department at Hartselle Health Park. The construction for that project is set to begin soon.

"The Hartselle community showed tremendous support for the Hartselle Health Park freestanding ED throughout the approval process with the CON Review Board,” said James Clements, Cullman Regional CEO. “We’re so grateful for that and we will need it again to bring an outpatient surgery center to Hartselle.”

About Cullman Regional
Cullman Regional is a fully accredited 150-bed hospital and health system serving a five-county area in North Alabama. As the largest employer in Cullman County, the hospital has grown to include an employed physician group of more than 50 providers and a network of convenient outpatient services including a dedicated health park, urgent care, imaging, surgery, physician specialists and primary care. Cullman Regional is committed to improving the health of our community with quality, compassionate care. For more information about Cullman Regional, visit CullmanRegional.com