On Wednesday, May 5, Catawba Valley Health System officially broke ground
at its medical center to expand its Emergency Department and create a
centralized heart center to better meet the growing demand for these services.
Construction will begin this month, encompass five phases, and target
September 2023 for completion.
Led by CVHS President and CEO Eddie Beard, the groundbreaking featured
representatives from the Catawba County Board of Commissioners, CVHS trustees
and medical staff, Catawba Medical Foundation, local leaders, and Rodgers
Builders of Charlotte who will handle construction.
Total project costs are $30.7 million, and the new design will create
more treatment areas outfitted for a wider variety of care options. The
CVHS Emergency Department averages 190 patients per day in a space originally
designed for a maximum of 148 patients per day. A new layout of the facility
also will allow for expanded services to treat bariatric patients, as
well as a separate and more fully equipped area for psychiatric patients.
The creation of a heart center is also a major component of the project.
With the new plan, all heart and vascular services will be located in
one area of the hospital with a short transport route from the Emergency
Department. Expanded cardiac catheterization labs will more efficiently
treat growing numbers of cardiac patients and can accommodate electrophysiology,
invasive radiology and vascular procedures.
“Catawba Valley Health System’s hallmark has been to deliver
compassionate care with innovative technology and processes,” said
Beard. “As our community has placed a greater amount of trust in
us than ever before to deliver that care, we’ve committed to continually
grow in space and technology to provide best practices in every phase
of our health system.”
Beard added that the new construction will allow for what is called a
“Vertical Care” concept. This allows for ambulatory patients
to be treated without taking needed beds from emergency patients. It incorporates
rooms requiring less space than traditional rooms so that more patients
can be treated and wait times can be reduced.
“A great deal of research by our leadership, medical staff, Emergency
personnel and industry experts revealed a more efficient way to treat
patients without sacrificing quality of care,” he explained. “The
resulting expansion will reflect how the most efficient organizations
operate. Especially in light of lessons learned from the COVID pandemic,
we’re proud to adapt and grow as our community needs grow as well.”
Perkins Eastman are architects for the project and engineering is led
by Charlotte Engineers.