On Tuesday July 28, 2020, The City Council of Norman approved the re-zoning of a 30- acre property located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Highway 9 and 24th Ave SE.
This approval is an important milestone for Norman Regional’s Inspire Health plan. The 30 acres of land is the site of the Health System’s Free-Standing Emergency Department (FSED) and will be the first building constructed under the transformational Inspire Health plan. Its size also allows for future growth of emergency services and planned development including other medical uses, commercial, and multi-family housing such as senior living.
Norman Regional is committed to expanding the healthcare needs of residents in east Norman. The first phase of the Highway 9 master plan property is the construction of a full-service Emergency Department, including laboratory and diagnostic services, physical therapy, physician clinics and meeting space. The design for the FSED and the land surrounding it includes walking trails, green spaces and water features. It is conveniently located on Highway 9, close to the EMSSTAT east station and just 10 miles from the HealthPlex acute inpatient campus.
“We are excited to be a part of the fastest growing area in Norman,” said President and CEO, Richie Splitt. “Our goal is to be a good neighbor and provide services that better reach our patients and their families where they live, work and play.”
The Free-Standing Emergency Department facility will pay tribute to the area’s history, Splitt said. In 1942 the United States Navy had two bases in Norman, Oklahoma. The southern-most base was located near the land on which the new FSED will be built. There was also a 400-bed Navy hospital on this land in the 1940s. The FSED will have a decorative pool in the shape on an anchor and a naval theme throughout its building, trails and exterior.
“In our minds, this is a great connection between our community’s historic past and the future of our growing community’s health system,” Splitt said. “It’s our goal to honor the selfless service of the brave men and women who fought to protect liberty and freedom in the United States and beyond.”
The FSED is just one of five core components in the Inspire Health plan. The core components are:
Expansion of the HealthPlex hospital
Construction of the FSED in southeast Norman
Construction of an Ambulatory and Cancer Care Center in western Norman
A new, freestanding behavioral health center
The revitalization of the Porter campus into a health village concept