UNC Health Blue Ridge To Hold Ribbon-Cutting Event for New Patient Tower

Source: UNC Health Blue Ridge

MORGANTON, NC — UNC Health Blue Ridge will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, August 21, at 4 p.m. for its new six-story patient tower, which features a new Emergency Department and Intensive Care floor.

The public is invited to take a guided tour of the facility after the ceremony. “This new tower is more than a building,” said Kathy Bailey, President and CEO of UNC Health Blue Ridge. “It is a symbol of our commitment to the future of healthcare and becoming the western hub for UNC Health.”

The 220,560-square-foot addition means the Emergency Department is triple the size of the old one, and the ICU nearly doubles the number of rooms available for critically ill patients, from 16 to 30 beds.

“As our community grows so does the healthcare system,” Bailey said. “Three floors of the tower are empty shells waiting to be upfitted to whatever the future holds.”

Groundbreaking for the six-story tower was held on June 28, 2022. “Our teammates are extremely excited about moving into the new space,” said Jon Mercer, Chief Operating Officer. “The larger rooms and new equipment will elevate patient care to an even higher standard.”

The general contractor for the building is Brasfield & Gorrie. “At Brasfield & Gorrie, we talk a lot about building strong communities because we’re passionate about serving the people in the places we call home. We’re honored that UNC Health Blue Ridge has turned to us as partners in caring for the community’s health,” said Regional Vice President and Division Manager Michael Byrd. The general contractor also recently built the UNC Health Blue Ridge Valdese Cancer Center addition. “We hope to continue to build on our relationship with UNC Health Blue Ridge.”

The design firm working on the project is DLR Group. “DLR Group’s design focused on patient care and functionality while framing views to the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains,” said DLR Group Senior Associate and Healthcare Project Manager Sara E. Cheikelard, AIA, EDAC. “The realization of this project, created in listening and collaboration with the Blue Ridge medical staff, will serve as a substantial asset to the community.”

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Emergency Department is expected to open to the public in a matter of weeks. However, the new ICU will not be operational until the spring of 2025.

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About UNC Health Blue Ridge
UNC Health Blue Ridge (www.unchealthblueridge.org) is a not-for-profit community healthcare system providing advanced healthcare and wellness services from more than 40 locations across a three-county region of Western North Carolina. The system includes one hospital with two locations and a continuing care retirement community. Nearly 120 primary care physicians, physician specialists, and extenders in the Blue Ridge Medical Group combine with other physicians on the Medical Staff to serve patients in the region. UNC Health Blue Ridge provides graduate medical education programs for medical school graduates and students in osteopathic medicine. UNCBR is affiliated with UNC Health System (www.unchealthcare.org), a not-for-profit integrated healthcare system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill

About Brasfield & Gorrie
‍Founded in 1964, Brasfield & Gorrie is one of the nation’s largest privately held construction firms, providing general contracting, design-build, and construction management services for a wide variety of markets. We are skilled in construction best practices, including virtual design and construction, integrated project delivery, and Lean construction, but we are best known for our preconstruction and self-perform expertise and exceptional client service. Brasfield & Gorrie has 13 offices and more than 3,200 employees. Our 2021 revenues were $4.2 billion. Engineering News-Record ranks Brasfield & Gorrie 22nd among the nation’s “Top 400 Contractors” for 2021. Brasfield & Gorrie is ENR Southeast's 2021 Contractor of the Year.

‍About DLR Group
DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse. Our promise is to elevate the human experience through design. This promise inspires sustainable design for a diverse group of public and private sector clients, local communities, and our planet. DLR Group is 100 percent employee-owned and fully supports the initiatives and goals of the 2030 Challenge, and is an initial signatory to the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.