Press release
From Mission Health:
SPRUCE PINE, N.C. (July 30, 2013) – Blue Ridge Regional Hospital Board of Trustees has approved a plan to build a new medical office building to be located on the hospital campus in Spruce Pine. The building will house several medical practice offices and an outpatient surgery suite. Design of the building is still being fine-tuned; however, the board approved a building of up to 35,000 square feet. The estimated cost of the building is $7.5 million with the hospital Foundation committing to raising $1.5 million toward the project.
“At Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, we strive to ensure our community has access to convenient, accessible and high-quality care,” said Oscar K. Weinmeister III, FACHE, President and CEO of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. “By expanding our outpatient services we are not only able to better serve our growing community, but we are also able to recruit more physicians so that patients have access to exceptional care, close to home.”
The new medical office building will replace the current Spruce Pine Medical Clinic building and will provide expanded space and additional exam rooms for Family Medicine, Women’s Health, Cardiac Rehab and Wellness and Wound Care services. Visiting specialty physicians who currently rotate office space inside the hospital, including Allergy, Cardiology, Dermatology, ENT, Gastroenterology, Ophthalmology and Pain Management specialists, will relocate to the new building for better patient accessibility.
“We are thrilled to embark on such an exciting campaign,” said Nancy Lindeman, Executive Director of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital Foundation. “We are committed to improving the health and wellness of our community now and well into the future. This outpatient expansion is a symbol of our investment in outstanding medical care for our community and for the future of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital.”
Plans for the new clinic include a new hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which will be located in the Wound Care services office in the new building. Hyperbaric oxygen chambers provide non-invasive treatment for patients with complications from diabetes and other related vascular disorders, pressure sores and traumatic wounds. Currently, patients in Blue Ridge Regional Hospital’s region must travel to Asheville or Johnson City, TN, to receive hyperbaric oxygen treatment.
With the addition of outpatient endoscopy services in the new medical office building, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital’s operating room and post-anesthesia care unit will have space to expand and better meet the surgical needs of the community
About Blue Ridge Regional Hospital
Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, based in Spruce Pine, N.C., is a not-for-profit hospital and serves Mitchell, Yancey, lower Avery and upper McDowell counties. Blue Ridge Regional Hospital has provided excellent healthcare services for the region since 1955. Cleverley & Associates has recognized Blue Ridge Regional Hospital as a Community Value Five-Star Hospital for 10 consecutive years. Medical specialties offered by Blue Ridge include emergency services, OB services, critical care, rehabilitation services and fitness center, cancer services, orthopedics, general surgical services, pain management, pediatrics, family medicine, sleep disorders and wound care. In addition, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital offers clinics for the following specialties: allergy and asthma; cardiology, dermatology; ear, nose and throat; gastroenterology; ophthalmology and kidney care (nephrology). Blue Ridge Regional Hospital employs 450 people and is a member of Mission Health, recognized in 2012 and 2013 as one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems by Thomson Reuters and Truven Health Analytics, respectively. For more information, please visit blueridgehospital.org.About Mission Health
Mission Health, based in Asheville, N.C., is the state’s sixth-largest health system and the region’s only not-for-profit, independent community hospital system governed and managed exclusively in western North Carolina. Mission Health was recognized as one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems in 2012 and 2013 by Thomson Reuters and Truven Health Analytics, respectively. Mission Health is one of only two medium-sized health systems to receive this recognition in 2012 and 2013, and the only health system in North Carolina to achieve that distinction.
Mission Health, which traces its roots in the region back to 1885, operates five hospitals, numerous outpatient and surgery centers and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. Its medical staff consists of more than 1,000 physicians and is certified in more than 50 medical specialties and sub- specialties. Mission Health has seven Centers of Excellence: Cancer, Heart, Mission Children’s Hospital, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Trauma and Women’s Health. Mission Hospital, located in Asheville, is the system’s flagship hospital and is licensed for 795 beds. It is the regional referral center for tertiary and quaternary care. It also includes Mission Children’s Hospital – the region’s only children’s hospital. Other Mission Health member hospitals include Angel Medical Center in Franklin, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, McDowell Hospital in Marion and Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard. With approximately 9,500 employees and 700 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the people of western North Carolina. For more information, please visit mission- health.org.
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