UNC Health Blue Ridge will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the six-story patient tower on Aug. 21 at 4 p.m. The tower will be home to a new Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit.
UNC Health Blue Ridge will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the six-story patient tower on Aug. 21 at 4 p.m. The tower will be home to a new Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit.
Just over two years after the groundbreaking, UNC Health Blue Ridge will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on it six-story patient tower that will be home to a new Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit.
The public is invited to attend the ceremony at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 21. A guided tour follows the ceremony.
“This new tower is more than a building,” said Kathy Bailey, president and CEO of UNC Health Blue Ridge. “It is a symbol of our commitment to the future of healthcare and becoming the western hub for UNC Health.”
The 220,560-square-foot addition means the Emergency Department is triple the size of the old one, and the ICU nearly doubles the number of rooms available for critically ill patients, from 16 to 30 beds.
“As our community grows so does the health care system,” Bailey said. “Three floors of the tower are empty shells waiting to be upfitted to whatever the future holds.”
Groundbreaking for the six-story tower was held on June 28, 2022.
“Our teammates are extremely excited about moving into the new space,” said Jon Mercer, chief operating officer. “The larger rooms and new equipment will elevate patient care to an even higher standard.”
The general contractor for the building is Brasfield & Gorrie.
“At Brasfield & Gorrie, we talk a lot about building strong communities because we’re passionate about serving the people in the places we call home. We’re honored that UNC Health Blue Ridge has turned to us as partners in caring for the community’s health,” said Regional Vice President and Division Manager Michael Byrd. The general contractor also recently built the UNC Health Blue Ridge Valdese Cancer Center addition. “We hope to continue to build on our relationship with UNC Health Blue Ridge.”
The design firm working on the project is DLR Group.“DLR Group’s design focused on patient care and functionality while framing views to the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains,” said DLR Group Senior Associate and Healthcare Project Manager Sara E. Cheikelard, AIA, EDAC. “The realization of this project, created in listening and collaboration with the Blue Ridge medical staff, will serve as a substantial asset to the community.”
The Emergency Department is expected to open to the public in a matter of weeks following the ribbon cutting. However, the new ICU will not be operational until the spring of 2025. UNC Health Blue Ridge is located at 2201 S. Sterling St. in Morganton.
-- AKC
Angela Kuper Copeland is editor of The Paper. She may be reached at 828-445-8595 or angela@thepaper.media.
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