Atmore Community Hospital officials said Tuesday that there will be a segregated outpatient waiting room area once renovations are complete in the near future.

Administrator Doug Tanner said the current outpatient clinic space is leased out to various specialists, and the reason for the renovation is that patients coming to see the doctors are having to come in the same door as the emergency department patients.

“That isn’t optimal because there are infection issues,” Tanner said. “Sometimes, there is also drama going on in the emergency room. It’s not an ideal situation.”

Tanner said once construction is complete, there will be a separate waiting area and entrance for the outpatient clinic.

“It should provide for a more pleasant waiting area,” he said. “It’ll improve infection prevention.”

Tanner said the timeline for completion is within three weeks. Rolin Contractors is handling the construction.

Tanner said the project has been a long time coming, and another phase is in the works.

“We have another phase that we hope to do,” he said. “When you come into the main entrance, you really walk into an empty hallway. Hopefully, down the road we will do a second phase of that, which creates a new gift shop and lobby area.”