Page 29 - Burke County NC 2024

Elected officials and
Burke County Chamber UNC Health Blue Ridge is a not-for-profit community
staff, along with healthcare system, providing advanced healthcare
hospital leadership,
board and staff and wellness services from more than 40 locations
members gathered across a three-county region of western North
to cut the ribbon in Carolina. The system includes one hospital with two
the dedication of locations and a continuing care retirement community
the UNC Health Blue and is affiliated with UNC Health System, an
Ridge Cancer Center integrated healthcare system owned by the state of
in Valdese on August North Carolina and headquartered in Chapel Hill. The
8, 2023. health system’s key services reflect the community’s
more prominent medical issues: heart disease,
features new infusion cancer, digestive diseases, bone and joint disease,
Burke County areas with private and diabetes, and women’s health.
therapy and treatment
open spaces, radiation and Blue Ridge is expanding the Community Paramedics
chemotherapy exam rooms, program. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Healthcare edge equipment includes two new UNC Health Blue Ridge formed a Mobile Integrated
and consultation spaces. Cutting-
Health team to visit COVID patients at home. This
Linear Accelerators, a CT Simulator, and
Superficial X-ray. The UNC Health Blue Ridge concept continues in a broader scope, thanks to a
Cancer Center treats many types of cancer and $295,000 grant from The Duke Endowment. The
term Community Paramedics is used to describe
W e are celebrating a lot in community prostate, colon, bladder, and lymphatic system. those on-the-road providers who are expanding
blood disorders, including cancers of the breast, lung,
their focus on acute and chronic diseases, such
healthcare this year! UNC Health Blue
as respiratory disease, diabetes, congestive heart
UNC Health Blue Ridge – Morganton continues
Ridge has made significant upgrades
at its locations in Morganton and
are identified through provider and emergency room
is scheduled to open in two phases in 2024 – the
Valdese, and the North Carolina Healthcare construction on a six-story ICU/ER patient tower that failure, and fall prevention. The program’s patients
Association honored President/CEO Kathy Bailey with expanded Emergency Room (ER) in the spring, and referrals, hospital discharges, and Medicare annual
its 2023 Distinguished Service Award. the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in fall. The top three wellness visits.
floors are value-added to embrace new technologies
The new $38 million UNC Health Blue Ridge Cancer and care centers as they come. A new helipad on the Visit unchealthblueridge.org or the Chamber’s
Center in Valdese opened in August. No longer will roof will accelerate the capabilities of the hospital to Member Directory for names and addresses of
patients have to travel far for treatment. The center address critical care patient deliveries. associated medical facilities and providers.

burkecountychamber.org Healthcare 25