Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center today announced completion of phase 1 construction at Davie Medical Center – Bermuda Run.
The $89 million project includes Medical Plaza One (a medical office building with cardiac and orthopaedic rehabilitation facilities, lab services and a pharmacy) and Medical Plaza Two (24/7 Emergency Department for adults and children; outpatient surgery services in orthopaedic, eye, hand, foot and ankle procedures; clinics in ophthalmology, cardiology, neurology and podiatry and extensive diagnostic imaging capabilities in cardiology and neurology in addition to digital mammography, CT, mobile MRI and X-ray).
Davie Medical Center – Bermuda Run is located on an 88-acre site at the intersection of Interstate 40 and State Highway 801. Approximately 40 acres of the site, River Hill Commons, is designated for commercial development. Preliminary engineering at the site began in March 2012. Phase 1 of the development was delivered on time and on budget. When the Bermuda Run campus officially opens Monday (Oct. 14), approximately 200 employees will work there.
“This development would not have been possible without the tireless commitment of Davie County leaders and citizens,” said John D. McConnell, M.D., chief executive officer, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. “I want to thank all of these partners, our construction and design teams, their subcontractors and the 1,547 construction employees who have created this beautiful new facility that brings new health care services and technology to the citizens of Davie County. When completed, this campus will represent a $120 million dollar investment in the health care of Davie County.”
“This is a beautiful, top-notch medical facility that Davie County residents should be proud of,” said Thomas E. Sibert, M.D., president and chief operating officer, Wake Forest Baptist Health. “We especially look to continuing to work with private physicians in the county, with the goal of improving the health of those in the county and its surrounding communities. Together, we can provide a wide range of clinical and surgical services and, when needed, have the resources of an academic medical center.”
Open Campus. Davie Medical Center – Bermuda Run is an open campus facility, which means its clinical and surgical facilities are available to private-practice physicians just as they are to Wake Forest Baptist faculty. Currently, we have a number of private-practice providers who care for patients and perform surgery at Davie Medical Center – Mocksville. While there is no clinical office space for rent or lease at the current time, doctors may apply to the Bermuda Run campus medical staff at any time.
Services Transition. The opening of the Bermuda Run campus means some of the services now being provided at Davie Medical Center – Mocksville (formerly Davie Hospital) will move to Davie Medical Center – Bermuda Run. These services include the Emergency Department, imaging, noninvasive cardiovascular services, sleep lab and surgical services in orthopaedics, ophthalmology, pain management and Ear, Nose and Throat.
Davie Medical Center – Mocksville will continue to provide X-ray imaging, infusion services, lab testing for glucose, urinalysis and similar point-of-care purposes, inpatient care for ventilator patients, physical therapy, respiratory therapy and speech therapy. However, no outpatient or inpatient surgery will be performed there.
In addition, the Emergency Department in Mocksville will close at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 14 and at that same time, the Emergency Department at the Bermuda Run campus will open.
When Davie Medical Center – Bermuda Run completes the addition of a 50-bed inpatient unit, Davie Medical Center – Mocksville will move its inpatient unit to the Bermuda Run campus. Phase 2 construction of the inpatient unit on the Bermuda Run campus is scheduled to begin in the winter of 2016.
Artwork. Perhaps the most interesting healing feature of the new Bermuda Run campus is not the medical equipment, but the art in the building. The artwork was chosen by a community advisory group to reflect the essence of Davie County.
Thirty-seven local Triad and North Carolina artists provided pieces, from paintings to giclee prints on paper to sculptures. Some incorporated nature-based materials in their artwork.
“The physical environment is an integral part of the hospital experience and art is an important part of that environment,” said the project’s interior designer Carol Wooley. “More than just a backdrop, art can provide a positive distraction for patients, visitors and staff and help to create an environment of hope and healing.”
New technologies. Davie Medical Center brings some technologies that are new to the county. There is a special laser procedure room that houses the FEMTO eye laser, which provides precise and minimally invasive treatment of cataracts. The laser is one of the few of its kind in North Carolina and the only one in Davie County. The Bermuda Run campus also offers cardiac ultrasound. This is the first time stress testing and transesophageal echocardiograms have been offered in Davie County. Digital mammography is also available in the county for the first time.
The center’s CT scanner has a feature called “dose modulation” that automatically reduces radiation based upon the tissue density of the body. Noninvasive neurology services include electroencephalography (EEG), which assists in the diagnosis of various seizure disorders and electromyography (EMG), which helps diagnose neuromuscular disorders by measuring electrical activity of nerves and/or muscles.
In addition, one of the most extensive deployments of a Real-time Location System (RTLS) is being phased in for use by staff and patients at the Bermuda Run campus. A RTLS is a GPS for indoors. The device is about the size of a credit card and has up to three “call” buttons on it to that can be customized depending on who is wearing it.
The RTLS is being designed to improve the overall patient experience, to lessen the time a patient has to wait and to maximize the time a patient spends with a doctor. For staff members, the device can be customized by department, making it easier for personnel to summon a colleague, report a medical problem, contact security or locate equipment.
The system also maintains ideal temperatures in refrigerators and freezers, ensuring the safety and quality of stored items.
The Bermuda Run campus officially opens for business on Monday, Oct. 14.
Editor’s Note: A media kit, high-resolution photos of the new facility, video of one of the artists who provided artwork and additional information about Saturday’s Community Celebration/Open House event are available for download at http://www.wakehealth.edu/news/downloads/
Media Relations
Mac Ingraham: mingraha@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-3487
Shannon Putnam: news@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-4587