By Ashley Morrison
The Anniston Star
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Calhoun County’s health care landscape is entering a period of major transformation, with new partnerships, expanded services and a long‑awaited freestanding emergency department in Jacksonville.
The project — a collaboration between Regional Medical Center, Jacksonville State University and the City of Jacksonville — is designed to not only restore emergency care to the northern part of the county, but also strengthen the broader health care network. Leaders say the effort reflects a growing push to keep more patients close to home, reduce transport times and build a stronger foundation for long‑term medical growth in Calhoun County.
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The Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center Free‑Standing Emergency Department (FED), now under construction on the north side of Jax State’s campus, will be a 17,000‑square‑foot facility housing both the emergency department and a newly relocated University Health Center . A shared helipad and the city’s new Fire Station No. 2 will sit directly beside it, creating what officials describe as a tightly coordinated hub for emergency response.
The facility is expected to open next year.
Regional Medical Center CEO Keith Parrott said the FED will open with the full capabilities required of a licensed emergency department in Alabama .
“It will be able to provide any level of service that any ER in the state provides,” Parrott said. “We’ll have a full component of lab and diagnostic imaging.” The hospital is still evaluating whether to install an MRI machine on day one, but space has been built to accommodate one.
Beyond emergency care, the facility will offer CT, mammography, ultrasound and scheduled outpatient imaging — services Parrott emphasized will be available to the entire community.
A return to emergency care in northern Calhoun County
Jacksonville has been without an emergency department since 2018, when RMC Jacksonville closed. Parrott said the institution still has data from the smaller facility showing the emergency room alone saw 13,000 to 14,000 visits annually.
“That population hasn’t grown substantially, but it certainly hasn’t shrunk,” he said. “We anticipate there are still 13,000 to 14,000 visits from that immediate area that right now are having to go all the way into Anniston or up to Gadsden.”
For rural residents north of the city — and for Jacksonville State’s 10,000‑plus students — the difference between a 20‑minute ambulance ride and a two‑minute one can be lifesaving.
Michael Barton , associate vice president for health and public safety at Jax State, said the university has seen firsthand how distance affects outcomes.
“There was a week in November where there were three patients flown out by helicopter from the City of Jacksonville,” Barton said. “Two of those were flown from the university from unrelated incidents. By having that freestanding ER on campus, those patients could be able to be transported there, and stabilized immediately.”
Barton noted that the geography of Jacksonville and the heavy traffic around campus create real challenges during medical calls. Barton said those delays can add up quickly when every minute matters.
“Jax State is bisected by two state highways, and those are heavily traveled routes. For emergency services to travel through that area, it does slow things down.”
A strategic location and a shared mission
The FED’s placement beside the new fire station was intentional. The city had already identified the need for expanded emergency services on the north side, and the shared helipad will serve both facilities.
“That was just another sign that that’s a good place to be,” Parrott said. “We’ll be able to share that helipad with the city, which will create some efficiencies and good collaboration.”
Parrott said discussions began shortly after he joined RMC last January. Jacksonville leaders — including former Mayor Johnny Smith and current Mayor Mark Jones — had been exploring options for years.
“It became clear to me that they’d been looking at this for a long time and really needed a partner who would step up and make some financial commitments,” Parrott said. “I saw people who were running for office and leaving office whose main concern was what’s best for the community.”
A new home for the University Health Center
While the emergency department has drawn most of the public attention, Barton emphasized that the project is “only half of the plan.”
The University Health Center , currently located at Jax State’s South Complex , will move into the new building — a shift Barton said will remove transportation barriers for students, faculty and staff.
“It’s more than just a first aid station,” Barton said. “It’s a very well‑developed health clinic that provides general health care services. By being able to have this new, modern facility on the main campus, that’s going to enhance those services.”
The move will also streamline referrals. Today, students who need X‑rays or other diagnostic tests must travel off‑site. In the new building, Barton said, “you’re going to be able to walk just down the hallway.”
The partnership also expands hands-on training opportunities for students in the College of Health Professions and Wellness , who already participate in emergency simulations — such as active shooter drills and mass casualty situations — with both city and university public safety officials.
“We routinely conduct exercises with our College of Health Professions and Wellness , and I would only imagine those will continue with RMC as a partner,” Barton said. “This enhanced partnership will provide realistic educational opportunities for health professions students.”
Public response and rebuilding trust
Public reaction has ranged from excitement to cautious optimism, said Ben Nunnally , public information officer for the City of Jacksonville .
“I think this is one of those things where the proof is going to come in as people start to get to experience the leadership that RMC has now,” Nunnally said.
Parrott acknowledged that RMC’s reputation has taken hits in recent years, particularly around long wait times and staffing concerns.
“One of the biggest complaints we had was the experience in our emergency department,” he said. “We’ve reduced by about 30 percent the amount of time it takes to be seen in the ER and have dramatically reduced, almost to zero, the number of people who leave without being seen.”
He noted that flu season has temporarily strained those improvements, but said the hospital is committed to long‑term progress.
Looking ahead
Parrott said the Jacksonville FED is part of a broader vision to expand access to care across Calhoun County .
“If we can form partnerships with key municipalities like Jacksonville — same with Oxford to the south — we should be able to add higher‑end services, more cardiac services, more surgical services,” he said. “We want to keep more care in the region.”
For Barton, the project represents a milestone in a longstanding partnership between RMC and Jax State.
“This initiative is a demonstration of meaningful cooperation to improve health care in the surrounding region,” he said.
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