Phoebe Health System concerned about upcoming road closure

ALBANY, Ga. – Starting Wednesday, a major traffic change is coming to the City of Albany. One that could potentially last up to a year. And, one that the Phoebe Health System says could cause some problems.

We met with Phoebe President Scott Steiner Tuesday afternoon to talk about the coming disruptions of traffic…

One that’s set to impact anyone coming to the hospital, whether they be arriving in a car or an ambulance.

“We’ve provided some feedback and some concerns around the city’s plan to close seven blocks. From Society, all the way to 7th Avenue, so about eight blocks for up to a year,” said Scott Steiner, President, Phoebe Health System.

According to this map Phoebe put out on Facebook over the weekend, the main entrance on Jefferson Street will be inaccessible.

Something Steiner says he’s been speaking with the city and local EMS about navigating.

“Sam Allen in Dougherty County EMS, and others, they transport 50 patients or more a day by ambulance, and another 150 by cars come to the emergency room. So, it’s going to be a significant impact,” said Steiner.

Steiner says that while the City of Albany has tried to mitigate any confusion that might be caused by the traffic with signs on multiple city blocks…

But, it isn’t a good solution.

“The signage I saw this morning that provided a blue ‘H’ with arrows, I think it was inadequate. To me, you’re assuming that everybody knows what a blue ‘H’ is going to mean. You’re assuming that everybody who is coming to the campus is coming to that blue ‘H’,” said Steiner.

But, the one thing the road work has Steiner worried about is how it will affect people during critical moments on the road where every second counts.

“This will be an incredible disruption to the main campus here, to the more than 4,000 people who come to our campus here off Jefferson for surgery, to deliver a baby, or go to the cancer center, or the other hundreds of things they come here for. Much less the more than 200 people who come to our emergency room everyday, 50 of whom come by ambulance…” said Steiner.

Now road closure signs have gone up already on North Jefferson, like the one you see behind me. Steiner, as well as Phoebe administration and EMTs are still concerned on how this traffic delay will impact response times.

Steiner says that 4th Avenue will still be able to be used but it should be for emergencies only.

Brian Roche reporting.

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