Crestwood community leaders speak against Trinity relocation plans
Reps. Patricia Todd and Earl Hilliard stood alongside Crestwood community leaders Friday to speak out against Trinity Medical Center’s proposed move to U.S. 280.
Todd called the planned move to HealthSouth’s empty Digital Hospital “despicable,” while Al Rutledge, president of the Killough Springs Neighborhood Association, said Trinity is moving to get closer to a wealthier population of Birmingham, leaving the Crestwood area underserved.
“It’s the money, let’s just face it,” he said. “They want to say they are following their constituents or whatever but that’s not the case.
Trinity Medical, which has been looking to replace its 40-year-old facility for several years, first made plans to build a $316 million hospital on Grants Mill Road off Interstate 459 in Irondale. It later scrapped that plan to relocate in HealthSouth’s hospital that was left unfinished after a massive accounting fraud scandal.
Several area hospitals are opposing Trinity’s move to the HealthSouth facility and a hearing with an administrative law judge is expected in the next 30 days to determine whether Trinity can go forward with receiving state approval installment payday loans.
Keith Granger, CEO of Trinity, said greater opportunities for health care service resides in the new facility.
“When you look at the overall activities of Trinity Medical Center…we serve many communities, and we serve a much larger neighborhood,” he said. “Patients from all over the state – they are looking for accessibility and technology.”
Trinity Medical currently occupies a facility dating back 40 years, which Granger said would be much more difficult to update technologically. He said the present concerns of neighbors have been heard.
“We certainly want to be sensitive to the community, but it’s compelling to look to the future,” he said. “We’ll do everything in our power to be a good neighbor and hopefully help in any way for future options here.”