Summit Hospital in Phenix City, Alabama
Celebrates Grand Opening

In August 2006, residents of Phenix City, Alabama, celebrated the opening of Summit Hospital, a 72-bed, 110,000 square foot facility.

The opening of the new medical center represents an important turnaround for the community of Phenix City, located in eastern Alabama, near the border with Georgia. Just four years ago, Phenix Regional Hospital, which had served the community for over 150 years, closed its doors.

After the closure, emergency care in the region became strained. Wait times at local hospital emergency rooms increased, and residents were forced to travel farther for care. Before long, the community knew it needed a hospital to replace the shuttered Phenix Regional Hospital.

With the help of FHA, that new hospital became a reality. Nashville-based Ameris Health System, which received a contract to manage a new hospital, began exploring its options for construction funding. After considering their alternatives, Ameris determined that FHA insurance was its best option. In May 2005, FHA insured the $32.7 million deal.

The new Summit Hospital is a full-service facility, including surgical and obstetrical services, an eight-bed Intensive care unit, a proposed Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, and a full-service Diagnostic Imaging Department. The Hospital will operate a 24-hour Emergency Services Department that is expected to support 30,000 visits per year.

In addition to providing the region with high-quality healthcare, the hospital also brought almost 200 jobs to the area so far with an annual payroll of $16 million � making it one of Phenix City's largest employers.

Nurse station	Private patient room