Construction began in June on a new medical office building that will house some of New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s cardiology and imaging services.

Work is underway for the new facility on 8.24 acres on Physicians Drive in the medical district near New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

The $14 million, three-story, 62,300-square-foot building is slated for completion by June 2014. It will house Cape Fear Heart Associates, part of the NHRMC Physician Group, as well as some NHRMC cardiac imaging services, a news release stated.

“When Wilmington Cardiology and Coastal Cardiology Associates came together in 2011 and became the Cape Fear Heart Associates, our physicians and staff were able to offer more collaborative care for our patients,” Henry Patel, a cardiologist with Cape Fear Heart Associates, said in the release. “By moving all of our physicians and imaging services into this one location, we will not only be offering our patients that collaborative, high-quality care they have come to expect, but more efficient care as well.”

The new outpatient clinic will include 48 exam rooms in addition to offices, classroom and break room space.

A new 17,000-square-foot hospitality house, with 24 rooms and shared kitchen and living room space, is also planned for the site as part of the first phase of development. The new facility will be named the SECU Family House at New Hanover Regional Medical Center after the Raleigh-based credit union that donated $2 million toward the project as part of its challenge grant with the NHRMC Foundation. 

The Family House will replace the hospital’s existing hospitality house on Medical Center Drive.
A second phase, which will be built when there is sufficient demand, will consist of a three-story, roughly 40,000-square-foot building on the site.

“This new building will provide our patients with a centralized location where they can meet with cardiologists and have easy access to cardiac imaging services,” David Parks, vice president of cardiac and clinical support services at NHRMC, said in the release.

Gizdic named COO at NHRMC

John Gizdic formally began his duties as chief operating officer at New Hanover Regional Medical Center on July 1.

Gizdic, who joined NHRMC in April 2005, previously served as executive vice-president of strategic planning and business development.

He has more than 20 years of health care experience, Jack Barto, NHRMC president and CEO, said in a news release.

“During his eight years with NHRMC, John has worked very closely with our medical staff, executed strategies to help the organization grow and has had operational responsibility for a wide variety of clinical and non-clinical areas,” Barto said. “John’s background in hospital operations, physician relations, strategic planning, business development and public relations-marketing position him well for this important leadership role.”

Gizdic replaced Matthew Heywood, whose last day at New Hanover Regional was June 30. Heywood, who had been the COO of NHRMC since 2008, accepted a position as president and CEO of Aspirus Inc., a health care system in Wisconsin and upper Michigan.

Under Gizdic’s leadership, New Hanover Regional developed the NHRMC Physician Group, which has more than 140 providers.

Gizdic has also overseen several joint ventures with area doctors, an affiliation with Dosher Memorial Hospital and an orthopedic co-management initiative.

Additionally, Gizdic has worked with senior leadership and the hospital system’s board of trustees to develop organizational strategic plans.  

Davis showcases new model of skilled nursing care

The public recently had its first look at two new, 11,500 square-foot homes at the Davis Community, 1007 Porters Neck Road.

The homes showcase a “new model of skilled nursing care,” Davis Community CEO Charles Long said in a news release. 

Recognizing decades of service and support for The Davis Community and its mission, the two homes are named for R. T. Sinclair, Cyrus Hogue and the late Walker Taylor III, friends of The Davis Community’s founder Champion McDowell Davis.

Long said The Davis Community’s Health Care Center is undergoing a massive building, remodeling and culture change transformation to create 10 home environments that enhance person-centered care.

“It is our goal to provide every resident with greater choices and comforts within a home setting,” he said.

Expectations of those approaching retirement age are greater than previous generations, Long said.

“We recognize that today’s seniors desire more privacy, upscale amenities and personal attention in a skilled nursing environment,” he said.

Long said the not-for-profit campus in Porters Neck will invest $26 million in infrastructure.
Employees are being trained to facilitate the shift “from a traditional medical model of skilled nursing care to a social model of care where residents and staff operate as a family unit,” he added.

Each of the two new households includes large common areas, residential-style kitchen and beauty salon, furnished bedrooms, spa and landscaped courtyards.

The opening of the Walker Taylor House and the Sinclair-Hogue house completes Phase One of the 3.5-year construction project, Long said. Construction and renovations are under way in the original nursing facility to create eight additional homes with the same amenities and household structures as the new freestanding homes, he said.

On July 1, the transfer of 48 residents from their previous health care setting into their new homes was completed.

Hospice breaks ground on expansion project

Continued demand for hospice services has prompted a local agency to expand its Wilmington facility.

Medical officials gathered in late June to break ground on Wilmington-based Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter’s latest venture – a $3.1 million expansion of its Port City hospice care center, according to a news release.

Plans call for the center to add a six-room wing to its existing 12-bed Dr. Robert M. Fales Pavilion at 1406 Physicians Drive.

“Our hospice care center in Wilmington has served more than 5,000 patients and families during the past 15 years,” Laurie Bystrom, president and CEO, said in a news release.

“Because of the demand for our Wilmington facility, some patients are placed on waiting lists or must stay in hospitals or other care facilities. We want to expand the capacity of the care center by 50 percent to help us better meet needs of the patients and families who want access to quality inpatient hospice care.”

In addition to the expansion, plans call for a renovation of the existing Fales Pavilion care center that includes updating the facility and providing new furniture and equipment.

Veronica Godwin, development manager of major gifts for the Lower Cape Fear Hospice and capital campaign director, said the hospice raised $1 million for the facility during its private campaign. She said the recent groundbreaking transitions the fundraising campaign for the expansion to the public, where officials hope to raise an additional $2.1 million for the project and $800,000 for the existing facility renovation.

J. Elias O’Neal contributed to this report.