TCH Newsroom
Ground is broken! A New Era Begins!
BREVARD, NC –
Turning of the earth is symbolic of the beginning stages of growth. The earth must be turned for a seed to be sown, and that is just what happened on Wednesday, May 16 at Transylvania Community Hospital. A seed that has been packaged and ready for cultivation was finally “planted.” Shovels turned the soil on the Hospital’s campus to symbolize the beginning of construction on a new patient wing that will serve residents of Transylvania County and surrounding areas.
Bob Bednarek, Hospital President and CEO, proclaimed that history was made when the TCH Board of Trustees decided to build a new patient wing. “This hospital was built with a vision to serve patients well,” said Bednarek. “And that vision continues here today. The new patient wing will greatly enhance our ability to provide excellent care with the personal and compassionate touch for which we are known.”
Local leaders were present to help commemorate the day. Speakers during the ceremony included Phillip Jerome, TCH Board Trustee and former chairman who led the Board in the decision-making process to build a new patient wing. Current TCH Board Chairman Dana Christianson, MD and TCH Chief-of-staff Barry Bodie, MD emphasized the importance of this new patient wing to patients and care providers. Peter Elder, TCH Foundation Chairman, and leader of the effort to raise $14 million for this project, thanked the many donors who attended to celebrate this momentous event. And Brevard Mayor Jimmy Harris and County Commissioner Jason Chappell supported the efforts with words on behalf of the community.
Transylvania Community Hospital’s new patient rooms were designed with patients, their loved ones and care providers in mind. The new rooms will be the largest in the region, with special areas for visitors to dine and sleep. Natural light and warm, calming colors were chosen as important elements because they are proven to promote healing and peace. The nurse stations are strategically located so that nurses do not have to travel far from their patients at any given time, which will enhance the personal touch which is a remarkable trademark of TCH. At the same time, high-tech monitoring equipment will be standard throughout the new wing, allowing for up-to-the-second monitoring of patients’ vital signs and other medical indicators.
The new patient wing – promised by the Hospital to be “More Than We Imagined” – is slated for completion in May of 2008. A new front entrance will complete the project by the end of 2008.