Jacksonville, AL – acksonville State University has taken a significant step toward expanding healthcare access in the Jacksonville area after its Board of Trustees approved the final design plans for a new freestanding emergency room and university health center.
The approval allows the project to move into the construction phase for a facility that university and community leaders say will improve access to emergency and medical services for students, residents, and visitors.
According to university officials, the planned complex will include a freestanding emergency department that will serve the public, a diagnostic imaging center offering services such as MRI, CT scans, and X-rays, and a relocated university health center. The services will be housed within a single facility.
JSU Associate Vice President of Health and Public Safety and University Police Chief Michael Barton shared that the project is intended to address the lack of nearby emergency care options in Jacksonville. Currently, patients often must travel to hospitals in Anniston or Gadsden for emergency treatment, resulting in transport times of approximately 25 to 30 minutes.
Barton noted that having emergency care available within Jacksonville could significantly reduce response and transport times for medical emergencies involving university students, faculty, staff, and local residents.
The facility is planned for a site along U.S. Highway 21 between 11th Street and Skelton Street, across from Merrill Hall and Brewer Hall on the JSU campus.
The project is being developed through a partnership between Jacksonville State University, the City of Jacksonville, and Regional Medical Center Health System. Officials estimate the total cost of the development at approximately $16 million.
University representatives have indicated that student fees may see modest adjustments in the future as project costs and operational expenses are finalized. However, officials have emphasized the value of providing both emergency medical care and student health services in a centralized location on or near campus.
Construction is expected to begin as early as July. If the project remains on schedule, the new emergency room and health center could open in early 2028.
The facility would mark the return of emergency medical services to Jacksonville for the first time since the closure of the city’s hospital in 2018.
