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Western North Carolina Heath Care and Medical
Moving to Western North Carolina has many benefits, most of which are evident. There is a fabulous quality of life, excellent schools, and, obviously, gorgeous scenery. Perhaps one that you didn’t think of when choosing this area, though, is the high quality medical care that is abundantly available.
“As Western North Carolina continues to see positive growth in industry and population, we have continued to experience enhancements throughout our health delivery system with significant financial investments in local hospital/facility based infrastructure and technology,” said Josh Williams, president of WNC Health Insurance. “Being such a great place to work, live and raise a family, Western N.C. has been able to attract and retain the best specialists and primary care physicians from all over the U.S. These individuals are the ‘building blocks’ to providing dependable healthcare, which is the foundation of our successful and thriving community.”
“Quality medical services are available in Western N.C. because the region is a desirable place to live and the demographic supports having these services,” said Dr. Tracey Roizman, a chiropractor in the Asheville area. “This area has a long tradition as a place for health and healing.”
The following is a brief look at a few of the fine healthcare facilities in the region.
Haywood Regional Medical Center
Haywood Regional Medical Center has been responding to the community’s needs since it opened in 1927. Administrators of the state-of-the-art hospital recognize the importance of recruiting and retaining the highest qualified physicians and staff. “Meeting the challenge of providing the most advanced technology, while remaining fiscally prudent, has been our mark of excellence,” said HRMC President and CEO David Rice.
The 2008 HealthGrades report gave Haywood Regional Medical Center 25 five-star ratings, as well as rating HRMC the best in North Carolina for overall critical care, best in the state for gastrointestinal services; in the top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation for overall GI services, GI medical treatment and GI surgery; in the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation for overall pulmonary services; and among the top 10 hospitals in North Carolina for general surgery. HealthGrades examines patient records from almost 5,000 hospitals across the nation. The results of their research show that patients can expect the best care at Haywood Regional Medical Center, and that they do not have to go anywhere else to get the best service.
Haywood Regional Medical Center’s highly specialized centers of excellence include the SpineCare Center, sports medicine, Carolina Center for Joint Replacement, rehabilitation center, the Women’s Care Center and cardiology services.
“We have proven that we have systems in place to quickly achieve excellent ratings,” said Dr. David Love, medical director at Haywood Regional Medical Center.
Haywood Regional Medical Center has several staff members with the highest possible credentials, Rice said.
“Since our founding, the area has grown through many phases and HRMC has responded by growing with it, from prevention through help for terminally ill patients,” he said.
Pardee Hospital
As the center of a not-for-profit, community healthcare system, Pardee Hospital has been meeting the health care needs of Henderson County for more than 50 years. Located in Hendersonville, Pardee Hospital is licensed for 222 acute care beds with a medical staff consisting of approximately 270 skilled physicians and dentists with a wide variety of specialties. Pardee is accredited by The Joint Commission, which recognizes hospitals that meet national standards for healthcare quality and safety.
By offering the most advanced medical technology, a variety of specialized services, and board-certified physicians and health professionals, Pardee gives residents of Henderson County access to nationally-recognized, quality healthcare close to home.
According to Lindsay Howell, director of Community Relations, Pardee is recognized as a leader in cancer prevention and treatment. The Comprehensive Cancer Center at Pardee is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, which recognizes programs that offer the best in cancer care. The Radiation Oncology Department at Pardee is also accredited by the American College of Radiology. The Comprehensive Cancer Center at Pardee participates in national clinical cancer trials, giving patients access to innovative drug trials that are typically only offered at the nation’s leading university medical centers. The Elizabeth Reilly Breast Center at Pardee helps fight the incidence of breast cancer in the community by offering the latest technology for detecting and treating breast cancer, including digital mammography and intensity-modulated radiation therapy.
In addition, Pardee has a comprehensive rehab and wellness center, a Sleep Center accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a nationally-certified cardiac rehab and diabetes education program, an adult day health center, a heart catheterization lab, an urgent care center, a women’s health center, home health services, and a wound healing center. The Center for Joint Replacement at Pardee is ranked best in the region for joint replacement surgery by HealthGrades. Pardee also has the region’s only community health education center – the Pardee Health Education Center located in the Blue Ridge Mall. The center provides an array of services for the community, ranging from health screenings and fitness classes to educational seminars and support groups, according to Howell.
Pardee is also a teaching facility, housing the Hendersonville Family Practice Residency Program in collaboration with MAHEC and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. This residency program offers medical school graduates the opportunity to spend three years training in internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, behavioral medicine, cardiology, urology, dermatology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, office surgery and more.
“Thanks to the advanced technology, specialized services and top-notch professionals who practice medicine at Pardee Hospital, residents of Henderson County are fortunate to have access to the highest quality health care available, right here close to home,” said Howell.
Mission Hospitals
Mission Hospitals, which is centered on Asheville, is licensed for more than 800 beds. This hospital consists of a Level II Trauma Center, two pediatric intensive care units, five adult care units, and a freestanding outpatient surgery center.
At Mission Hospitals, there are more than 600 physicians who specialize in many fields, including cancer/oncology, cardiac/heart care, children’s services, maternity services, neurosciences, orthopaedics, trauma services, women’s health, and wound therapy.
Mission Health and Hospitals includes two Asheville campuses, Memorial and St. Joseph, as well as Spruce Pine Community Hospital in Mitchell County and the McDowell Hospital in Marion.
Mission Hospitals has been repeatedly recognized for clinical and organizational excellence:
• Named a Top 50 Hospital in Orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report in 2006.
• Named one of the nation’s Top 100 Heart Hospitals by Solucient in 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 and 2000.
• Recognized by Premier for quality and efficiency in the treatment of congestive heart failure and acute
heart attack in 2006, and of heart failure in 2005.
• Identified as one of the top performing hospitals in the nation for cost and quality in a 2004 analysis made
possible by the Commonwealth Fund.
• One of 200 hospitals in the nation selected for Medicare’s “Pay for Quality” program. Laboratory was ISO
9001 registered in 2004.
• Honored every year by having up to 15 staff nurses selected for North Carolina’s “Great 100.”
• Named 9th in the nation in 2001 for integrated Health Systems by SMG Marketing Group Inc. of Chicago.
CarePartners
CarePartners is a private, nonprofit healthcare organization in Asheville. According to Amy Smialowicz, CarePartners public relations coordinator, it offers what healthcare professionals call a “full continuum of post-acute care.” “That simply means it has a wide range of services to help the people it serve live full and productive lives, despite illness, injury, disability or issues related to aging,” she said.
CarePartners includes the following entities:
• CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital, an 80-bed regional referral center with intensive inpatient
rehabilitation programs for a multitude of illnesses, injuries and conditions.
• Outpatient rehabilitation services at five convenient locations throughout Buncombe County, offering a
comprehensive variety of traditional and specialized therapies
• Home health nursing and therapy, and private duty services in Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood and
surrounding counties, providing a full range of quality, cost-effective, in-home services for all ages.
• Hospice and palliative care (comfort care) services in the home, in long-term care facilities and in the John
F. Keever, Jr. Solace Center, a 27-bed, home-like facility for those nearing the end of life.
• Adult day services, providing a safe, stimulating environment for those who can no longer be safely left
alone during the day while family members and caregivers are at work or taking care of other
responsibilities.
• Private duty nursing, homemaker and personal care services, providing a wide array of customized,
clinical and non-clinical services and companion care in the home.
• Orthotics and prosthetics services, providing bracing and artificial limbs at clinics in Asheville and
Hendersonville, with care also available in the home and in medical facilities in Buncombe, Henderson,
Haywood, Transylvania, Madison, Yancey and Avery counties.
Asheville VA Medical Center
Asheville VA Medical Center (AVAMC) is a tertiary care facility and is classified as a Clinical Referral Level II Facility, according to its Web site. Comprehensive healthcare is provided through primary care, tertiary care, and long-term care in areas of medicine, surgery, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, dentistry, geriatrics, and extended care.
AVAMC consists of 112 hospital beds and a 120-bed Extended Care and Rehabilitation Center. It also operates a Home Based Primary Care Program and a Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP). The medical center is particularly known for its strong programs in cardiac (open heart), vascular, and thoracic surgery.
Park Ridge Hospital
Park Ridge Hospital, located in Fletcher, is a 103-bed facility that provides cardiology services, a chest pain center, obstetrics and gynecology services, full diagnostic imaging, oncology, orthopaedics, sports medicine, surgery, and urgent care.
Park Ridge Hospital is a member of Adventist Health System (AHS), the largest not-for-profit Protestant health care organization in the United States, serving more than four million patients annually. AHS owns and manages approximately 38 hospitals in 10 states totaling over 6,200 beds.
Park Ridge Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), as well as the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
Transylvania Community Hospital
Transylvania Community Hospital, a 94-bed facility in downtown Brevard, consists of more than 40 active physicians and 80 courtesy and consulting physicians who specialize in disciplines including acute care, diabetes education, critical/intensive care, rehabilitation therapy, outpatient services, and home health care.
It also offers a full range of quality health services and wellness programs, among them cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, a 24-hour emergency department, and a birthing center.
A 94-bed facility, fully accredited by the JCAHO, Transylvania Community Hospital offers comprehensive services through more than 120 active, consulting, and courtesy physicians representing a full spectrum of specialties.
Health Insurance
WNC Health Insurance
For a quality health insurance provider, be sure to give WNC Health Insurance a look. This office, located in Asheville, provides and services all types of group health benefits. The agency provides insurance plans for more than 200 Western N.C. employers, covering thousands of individuals and their families. For individuals, it provides and services all types of individual health plans (including qualified plans with health saving accounts), Medicare supplements for ages 65 and above, life, and disability plans). WNC Health Insurance is an authorized agent for the following carriers: BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, Coventry One / WellPath, United HeathCare, Principal, Lincoln, Mutual of Omaha, and Guardian.
“We provide a no pressure shopping experience where people can ‘choose’ a health insurance policy that fits their lifestyle and budget,” said Williams. “We place emphasis on the word ‘choose’ because we empower our clients with clear and concise information and offer personalized solutions to fit the way you live to help you find the health plan that’s right for you. We believe that providing quality service, affordable solutions, and empowering our customers will ensure our growth in future years.”
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