TCH Newsroom
Contact: Rodney Foushee
Public Relations & Marketing Manager
(828) 883-5435
Transylvania Community Hospital to Change Name in Fall 2008
BREVARD, N.C., Dec. 5, 2007—In celebration of its 75th anniversary and to reflect its position as a leading healthcare provider in the region, Transylvania Community Hospital will change its name to Summit Regional Hospital in 2008.
The Hospital’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to rename the hospital in October 2008 to coincide with the completion of a current $14 million expansion and renovation of the medical facility in Brevard.
“From our roots, as a small, local community hospital serving mostly Brevard and Transylvania County, we have evolved into a thriving, modern medical campus serving patients in Henderson and Jackson counties and beyond,” said Bob Bednarek, president and CEO of Transylvania Community Hospital. “The name Transylvania Community Hospital has served us well over the years, and we believe that our new name reflects the broader community we serve and our vision for the future.”
The new name is a more accurate reflection of the hospital’s growing array of quality medical services that are meeting the needs of residents of the three counties, Bednarek said. “This new name honors our history of serving residents in the mountain region and expresses the driving value of the organization: to provide the highest quality healthcare available,” he said. “The excellent physicians, nurses and staff at the hospital are continually striving for the top, or the “summit” in all that they do. Our new name will honor and recognize our exceptional organization.”
Detailed market research in the community conducted by the hospital over the spring and summer revealed that the name “Summit” was well received by area residents—they understand the connection to “highest quality” and “top” care, Bednarek said. “Residents in our market also perceive the quality of care at a ‘community hospital’ to be lower than the quality of care received at a ‘regional hospital,’’ he said. “We know that our quality is extraordinarily high, and we support this claim with excellent clinical outcomes data. Recognizing our status as a ‘regional hospital’ is one more way to support a more accurate perception that the quality of care at our hospital is remarkable.”
The name change will have no impact on the ownership or management of the hospital, which will continue to operate as an independent, private, not-for-profit organization.
“Our mission is clear: to provide access to the highest quality healthcare for residents in this entire region. We simply have grown to serving a region larger than Transylvania County alone,” said Dr. Dana Christianson, chairman of the TCH Board of Trustees. “We must embrace and serve all who need us. Our new name is more inclusive and clearly reflects this commitment to the entire region we serve.”
The hospital’s expansion—one of the largest in its history—is ahead of schedule for completion in fall 2008. The project includes 30 new state-of-the-art inpatient rooms, 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. 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 hospital’s exterior and front parking lot will also get a facelift, giving the whole campus a more modern feel.
The hospital plans to hold several events to celebrate its rich 75-year history at Transylvania Community Hospital during 2008, culminating with the dedication of the renovated building and the name change to Summit Regional Hospital.
Summit Regional Hospital will be the third name of the organization in its long history. The hospital was founded as Lyday Memorial Hospital in 1933. The name was changed to Transylvania Community Hospital in 1939.
“With all these changes, we are celebrating and honoring the past and embracing the future of healthcare in the region,” Bednarek said. “Though our name is changing, our mission and commitment to quality personal care are not. We believe Summit Regional Hospital will be ‘more than you imagined’ for years to come.”
About Transylvania Community Hospital
Transylvania Community Hospital is a nationally ranked 5-Star Hospital and a leading provider of quality healthcare services in Transylvania and surrounding counties. Based in Brevard, N.C., it is a not-for-profit community hospital founded in 1933 and is the largest employer in Transylvania County.