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Groundbreaking for Medical Office Building
Claiborne
Progress
January 31, 2007
By W. Lee Brame
Correspondent |
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 With
gold painted shovels and a freshly dumped pile of dirt, community leaders
gathered at the parking lot of the Claiborne County Hospital Wednesday
afternoon, Jan. 24, to celebrate a symbolic groundbreaking for the new
medical services office building.
County Mayor Joe Tyler Duncan told the crowd
that the complex would be a "tremendous asset for the community" and a sign
of "progress and growth."
The 30,000 square feet, three story facility
will house the hospital rehabilitation department on the ground floor while
the second and third floors will contain physician offices and specialty
clinics. The design of the building will permit construction of a flying
bridge that will connect the third floor of the new office building directly
into the second floor of the hospital. Patients and visitors will easily be
able to enter the ground floor lobby from the parking lot while local
doctors leasing office space will have convenient access to hospitalized
patients and laboratory services.
Three of the community's prominent surgeons,
Drs. Rose, Thomas, and Wilmouth have already agreed to lease space in the
new complex with several other offices
being claimed by specialists. |
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Duncan congratulated the hospital
board and administration for their willingness to take bold steps to
continue to improve and modernize hospital services and
capabilities. The choice for Claiborne County is either to become a
"hub of medical services for the surrounding counties" or to fade
into a diminished role as a transit point for Knoxville hospitals.
Hospital Administrator Tim Brown echoed
that theme by citing the risks (to critical care patients) and costs
to local residents of having to travel to Knoxville for medical
services. As Claiborne County and surrounding areas continue to grow
with no plans for Highway 33 improvements north of Maynardville, the
need for local medical services continues to increase. The
successful start of the new medical program at LMU also provides an
impetus for continued hospital improvements. |
Joe
Tyler Duncan, Mayor, Tim Brown, Administrator |
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Brown also noted that a local financial
institution, First Century Bank, also successfully competed for the right to
provide construction financing. The competitive rates and willingness of
local bankers to support community growth means that more local money stays
in the community to support local jobs.
Construction is expected to be completed in
January 2008.
Click
here for more
information about the new building |
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