UAB Health System in Birmingham, Ala., is set to open its new nine-story replacement facility for UAB Medical West, which will begin treating patients Aug. 3.
The new facility in Bessemer, Ala., includes the 200 bed-hospital with 12 operating rooms and a seven-story medical office building. UAB Medical West's former location — built in 1964 — was also in Bessemer.
"To move to our new campus marks a novel chapter for our healthcare facility," UAB Medical West CEO Keith Pennington said, noting the system has been planning for the past year with local officials and transportation services for the Aug. 3 move.
Development of UAB Medical West began in 2017 with the selection of the site, breaking ground in 2021. The facility cost $400 million, funded through a U.S. Department of Agriculture loan program designed to build and improve community facilities.
In addition to the new hospital, UAB Health is looking to acquire a five-hospital subsidiary system in central Alabama from St. Louis-based Ascension for $450 million.