Anniston, AL – In a recent letter addressed to all RMC employees and providers, Louis Bass, President & CEO of RMC, shared significant updates and changes that will be taking place over the next three weeks. This announcement comes as part of the ongoing integration efforts of the Stringfellow Campus into RMC’s broader healthcare system.
Bass expressed his gratitude for the exceptional progress made over the last month and extended thanks to everyone involved for their hard work and support. The letter, part of the “Transition Talk” series, outlines a detailed timeline and operational changes that will significantly impact inpatient and emergency care services at the Stringfellow Campus.
The Stringfellow Campus will stop accepting new inpatients after 5:00 p.m. on July 12, 2024. This includes a halt on new elective admissions and elective inpatient surgical procedures after this date.
Emergent inpatient surgeries and endoscopy procedures will continue as necessary until the complete transition of the inpatient program.
Inpatient care will cease entirely at 5:00 p.m. on July 19, 2024. All patients still in-house at that time will be transferred to RMC. Consequently, Laboratory, Radiology, and Pharmacy services for inpatients and emergency room patients will also be discontinued.
The transition period for the emergency room services will begin on July 12, 2024, and continue until closure on July 19, 2024.
The emergency department at the Stringfellow Campus will stop accepting emergency patients at midnight on July 18, 2024, and cease operations entirely on July 19, 2024. A physician and necessary staff will remain on hand to manage all patients until the official closure.
Notifications have been sent to all first responders, advising them to transport emergency patients to RMC or an alternative hospital emergency department starting from July 12, 2024, in accordance with patient choice.
RMC has executed a Letter of Intent with an established Urgent Care provider to set up an Urgent Care center in the current Stringfellow Campus emergency department. The target opening for this new Urgent Care center is mid to late August 2024.
Anniston Councilmember and RMC Board Chairman Jay Jenkins, while speaking with the Calhoun Journal, expressed his support for the recent changes, highlighting the benefits for the community. “I think it’s a good and necessary step for our community,” Jenkins stated. “It allows us to consolidate services in a single location, instead of duplicating services eight blocks apart from one another. Stringfellow is still an important piece of the RMC network and will continue to be. We look forward to getting the urgent care stood up there and in the former emergency room. We’ll continue to use the ORs for outpatient surgery events and maintain the opportunity to expand back to those beds as the community needs dictate.”
Commissioner and RMC Board Member Fred Wilson also spoke with the Calhoun Journal, emphasizing the significance of the recent agreement. “It’s a necessary item for us,” Wilson stated. “I’m talking about the board to achieve a loan and some requirements. It’s a good agreement between the Stringfellow Foundation and our RMC. We lease this building. This is a good move. It’s appreciated by both groups, and it’s going to be used for different things.”
While the integration of the Stringfellow Campus progresses, there are uncertainties and challenges ahead. Continuous communication and updates will be crucial as RMC navigates through this transition period.
