SYLACAUGA, Ala. – Coosa Valley Medical Center has been granted a Certificate of Need to expand psychiatric services, marking a major step forward for mental health care in Sylacauga and the surrounding area.
The approval was granted last week while hospital representatives were at the Alabama State Capitol discussing the growing demand for adult psychiatric services. The Certificate of Need allows the medical center to expand its Senior Behavioral Unit by five beds and to add 20 new adult psychiatric beds.
Hospital officials said the expansion will help address longstanding gaps in access to inpatient mental health care for adults and seniors in the community. The additional capacity is expected to improve treatment availability and reduce the need for patients to seek care outside the area.
A Certificate of Need, or CON, is a regulatory process used by many states to oversee the development and expansion of health care services. Providers must demonstrate a clear community need for proposed projects and show that the expansion will not negatively impact existing services.
Coosa Valley Medical Center officials said the approval represents meaningful progress and that planning work on the project is now underway.
