Fayetteville’s Cape Fear Valley Medical Center Growing to Meet Demand
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Top-notch emergency care is a priority for the Cape Fear Valley Health System. And it’s been a commitment since at least 1988‚ when the emergency department at system flagship Cape Fear Valley Medical Center first opened.
Now‚ since Cumberland County’s population has outgrown the available facilities‚ the health system is renewing its commitment with the new Valley Pavilion‚ being built on the south side of the medical center campus. The state-of-the-art facility will provide a new emergency department as well as areas for heart and vascular care patients.
The Valley Pavilion will be six stories high with 130 beds and parking spaces for 500 cars.
Lia Tremblay‚ the hospital’s public relations coordinator‚ says that the hospital’s doctors are very excited about the expansion‚ especially the ER.
The new emergency department will be on the ground floor‚ utilizing 69‚700 square feet of space‚ three times more than the current department.
But that’s not all. An imaging department will be located on the second floor. Testing and lab departments will be on the second floor with beds on the third and fourth floors. The layout has been designed to offer the easiest access for patients while providing state-of-the-art machinery and technology for assessment and treatment.
Until the building is completed‚ free parking is provided on Walter Reed Road‚ off of Melrose Road. Shuttles will take patients and loved ones to the entrance of the hospital. For those who want to watch the progress‚ they can go to www.capefearvalley.com to see the construction Web cam. The camera catches the building site from Village and Owen drives. The Web site also offers a map indicating the temporary parking available until construction is completed.
The Valley Pavilion for heart and vascular care is planned for completion in the summer of 2008. The ribbon cutting and opening will be announced in the local media and everyone is welcome to tour the new Valley Pavilion.
The Valley Pavilion is not the only major medical facility undertaking in Cumberland County; in fact‚ Cape Fear Valley Health System has been on a mission. In April 2006‚ they opened Health Pavilion North‚ a facility offering outpatient services for those living in north Cumberland County and the surrounding areas. An urgent care facility treats minor ear infections‚ sprains and other ailments‚ in order to offer a less expensive trip to the emergency room and free up the emergency department for more critical patients. Health Pavilion North also includes a sleep center‚ cancer treatment center‚ physical therapy department and a pharmacy.
Cumberland County is growing. Cape Fear Valley Health System is growing with it. With the addition of these two facilities‚ the citizens of Cumberland County and adjacent counties will have access to additional medical care in their own communities.
Story by Karen Alea
