Hospital Officials Break Ground Construction of New ER and Outpatient Surgery Center to Begin this Week

Habersham County Medical Center (HCMC) ceremonially broke ground today on its $38.6 million expansion which includes a new first-class emergency room and an all-private, more patient-friendly 24-bed outpatient surgery center.

“This hospital opened fifty-five years ago this month,” said Dick Dwozan, president. “When community leaders originally broke ground for Habersham County Hospital, as it was originally named, they saw it through in the face of many challenges. As we look around us more than five decades later, we can’t deny how visionary and courageous they were. Likewise, today’s hospital leaders and board members have the vision and responsibility to plan for this area’s healthcare needs for generations to come.”

“Just the promise of the new expansion and more advanced technology has already helped us recruit additional medical professionals, including three internists, two family practitioners and a pediatrician,” Dwozan announced. “The expansion will allow us to serve more people and enhance patient comfort,” he said. “We also were very deliberate in designing the additions to allow for improved patient flow and future expansion as growth dictates.”

The new 16,467 square foot emergency room will include 17 treatment rooms and a new and advanced triage area along with a 38-space parking garage and a helicopter pad.

A new West Wing is being built to the west of the current main entrance and will include a new public entrance and waiting areas as well as an all private room outpatient surgery center. The expansion also includes additional parking, a quick stop (convenience) center for laboratory, x-rays, EKGs and pre-operative visits, a new hospital main entrance, a new gift shop and new waiting areas.

Jim Peterson, senior vice president of finance, said site work has been completed and now the construction of the additional 78,000 square feet will begin. Steel is expected to start going up in October.

Financing of the project will be from tax-exempt bonds and bond payments will come from operations.

Construction is expected to be complete by late summer 2009. For updates, visit www.hcmcmed.org

As part of phase one of the expansion, HCMC recently installed a new Computed Tomography (CT) Scanner and a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system, bringing two of the most intricate and advanced technologies in imaging to the residents of northeast Georgia.

“HCMC has come a long way over the years and now we will have a new facility to match our outstanding, award-winning quality of care,” added Dwozan. “We welcome you to experience the new HCMC.”

Other interesting facts:

Speakers are available to talk about the new hospital project. Clubs and organizations can schedule a program by contacting April Reed, VP of Development/PR at (706) 754-3113, ext. 1106.

A capital campaign is also underway for the community to show its support of the expansion and commitment to our community’s health. HealthLinks 2007, the HCMC Foundation’s annual golf tournament will kick-off the fund-raising campaign. The tournament will be held at The Orchard on Wednesday, Sept. 19th with proceeds going towards the $500,000 cost to purchase and install a helicopter pad on the roof of the new emergency room. Naming opportunities are available and the new main entrance will include a new donor recognition wall. For more information, contact April Reed, VP of Development/PR at (706) 754-3113, ext. 1106.

The design team included HKS Inc. a national architectural firm based in Dallas, TX. Their healthcare portfolio includes George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and Emory Crawford Long in Atlanta.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., a general contracting firm is leading the construction. Founded in 1864, McCarthy is ranked as one of the top 10 U.S. Builders and is the nation’s 11th largest domestic general contractor.