Conversations of excitement circled through the crowd of St. Vincent’s Health System hospital officials and staff, residents and public officials of St. Clair County witnessed the anticipated ribbon cutting, marking the grand opening of the new medical facility, St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital in Pell City.

 The event marked a historic moment for St. Clair County, offering the promise of a holistic approach to cutting edge medical care for years to come.

“This is beyond my imagination,” Terrell Vick, Chief Transition Officer for St. Vincent’s St. Clair, said about the state-of-the-art facility.

Expected to be one of the best rural hospitals in the country, the 79,000 square-foot hospital contains 40 beds and 95 percent of the equipment is new.  The facility is completely digitized and analog is a thing of the past.  Modern technology allows for a heightened security to create an unmatched level of safety.  

The hospital was designed to be expandable for anticipated future growth.  “It is the beginning of a journey to do.  We are proud we can do more,” John O’Neil, President and CEO of St. Vincent’s Health System, said.

Expressing his gratitude and sentiments before the crowd at the grand opening, St. Clair County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon played a recording of the song, “Rainbow Connection” sung by Kermit the Frog, saying, “I predict this is a rainbow connection for healthcare in St. Clair County.  I can’t imagine a better Christmas gift for the citizens of St. Clair County.”  Batemon acknowledged the vision, faith and action that came together to make the project possible.

Development of St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital was a collaborative effort between community leaders, elected officials and five development partners, St. Vincent’s Health System, the St. Clair County Healthcare Authority, St. Clair County Commission, the City of Pell City and the St. Clair Economic Development Council.

“This is fairly rare for so many groups to come together and accomplish something so quickly,” O’Neil said.  “People involved in a project often worry about who is going to receive the most credit but not this group.  Everyone involved focused on doing what was best to serve the community.”

More than 300 donors pledged over $ 3 million to make this project possible.

“[The development] happened because St. Clair County is a rare, remarkable county that shares faith values,” Pell City Mayor Bill Hereford said.  “Working together is part of our DNA.”

O’Neil compared the development efforts of this project to Alabama football, saying players lose games because they don’t have heart.  “Without love, it’s worthless.”  O’Neil said the project involved love.