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The Atmore City Council approved a land swap with the Escambia County Healthcare Authority during its Monday meeting.

The decision signifies more than a year of the ECHA presenting its plans for a new hospital, and the city council taking no action on a land donation.

We here at The Atmore Advance applaud both sides for coming together and working things out.

ECHA Chairman Debbie Rowell summed up the authority’s excitement about the swap Monday night.

“I really do appreciate the city being willing to work with us to move forward and bring to the citizens of Atmore and this end of the county, and the surrounding area a state-of-the-art new hospital facility,” Rowell said. “We’re really excited, and hope to get things moving right away.”

The swap included 8.3 acres of land behind Atmore Community Hospital for 10 acres of land south of the red light on Highway 21 across from Wind Creek Casino and Hotel in Atmore.

With this swap, the ECHA can begin to build a new hospital for the city and area’s citizens.

According to archives, the ECHA released a statement highlighting the specifics related to the new hospital last year.

“Adams Management Services Corporation, along with Johnson Healthcare Real Estate, Goodwin Mills Cawood and Healthcare Program Advisors conducted the study, which recommended the construction of a new facility that would hold 27 inpatient beds, 10 emergency room beds, one-to-two operating rooms, an ICU and offer other services such as MRI, CT scan, echocardiogram, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, X-ray and urgent care services. The study looked at ACH historical data, state discharge data, the local healthcare market and changing demographic trends.”