The year-long process will come to a close for the Athens (Ala.)-Limestone Hospital with the groundbreaking of its $25 million surgery center, Decatur Daily reports.
Here's what you should know.
1. The hospital could break ground on its 75,000-square-foot, three-story surgical center Jan. 20, 2017.
2. Construction is expected to take 18 months.
3. The state issued a certificate of need in September 2015, but the hospital took more than a year to file a signed construction contract.
The health system's CEO David Pryor attributed the delay to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which changed Medicare reimbursement rates.
4. The center is a joint development between OrthoSports Athens, Inkana Development and the hospital.
5. When complete, the surgery center will have six operating rooms, an imaging center, a pharmacy and laboratory offices.