New ER and operating rooms in the works for Jackson and Swain hospitals
Harris Regional Hospital and Swain County Hospital have finally settled on new names following the purchase of the hospitals by Duke LifePoint Healthcare last year, but the change announced this week is a minor one.
Their new names are Harris Regional Hospital, a Duke LifePoint Hospital, and Swain Community Hospital, a Duke LifePoint Hospital.
The new names honor the hospitals long-standing legacies in the region while highlighting their new connection to Duke LifePoint Healthcare.
Haywood Regional Medical Center, which was also purchased by Duke LifePoint last year, essentially kept its name as well, likewise adding the tagline “a Duke LifePoint Hospital” after its name but otherwise staying the same.
“I am excited to officially unveil our new brands and share our exciting plans for growth with the communities we serve,” said Bunny Johns, Chair of the Harris Regional and Swain Community Board of Trustees. “Our new names distinguish us as Duke LifePoint hospitals and provide an opportunity to share our vision for the future.”
Duke LifePoint has committed to investing $43 million in capital improvements at Harris Regional and Swain Community Hospitals over the next eight years. These investments will enhance services and help the hospitals grow.
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Since joining Duke LifePoint in August, investments have already been made involving new equipment, technology, and support to improve patient care, including news ultrasound machines, new computers and laptops, new flooring in operating rooms, new arthroscopic equipment for sports medicine and orthopedic procedures, and support for physician recruitment, strategic planning and marketing.
In the coming months, Harris Regional and Swain Community Hospitals have many new projects on the horizon, including the construction of a new Emergency Department at Harris, completing the New Generations Family Birthing Center at Harris, and restoring operating room capabilities at Swain Community Hospital.
“Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital have been integral to the health and wellness of this region for many years,” said Steve Heatherly, President and CEO at Harris Regional and Swain Community Hospitals. “As Duke LifePoint hospitals, we already have been able to enhance the care we deliver and strengthen our hospitals’ abilities to work together and positively impact the community. Our partnership is bringing unparalleled expertise in clinical excellence and quality care to this region, which is why we have developed the tagline ‘Together making communities healthier.’”
New hospital signage and refreshed websites will feature the new name and new logos. The hospitals also will begin a new awareness campaign that highlights their deep roots in the community and their commitment to making communities healthier together.
Additionally, Harris’ Franklin campus, formerly the WestCare Medical Park of Franklin, will now be called Harris Regional Hospital Medical Park of Franklin.
