Physicians and Other Medical Professionals Help Make Mooresville a Top Spot For Health Care Services
When Mooresville-area residents need health care‚ the impressive array of options proves the adage that quality breeds more of the same.
Boasting several quality health-care facilities‚ the area is a magnet for top-notch physicians and allied-health professionals attracted by modern hospital facilities and the region’s natural beauty and charm.
“We’ve worked hard over the last 10 to 15 years in recruiting primary-care [providers] and specialists and sub-specialists to Mooresville. There’s really not a service that you can’t get done here‚” says Paul Smith Jr.‚ Lake Norman Regional Medical Center’s chief executive officer. “We’re very fortunate that we live in a great area‚ and we’re able to attract high-quality physicians.”
In 1999‚ the medical center moved into a new facility on Fairview Road near Interstate 77‚ thus situating the hospital closer to the county’s swelling population center. Adjacent to the hospital is Medical Pavilion at Lake Norman‚ which is nearly leased out by health-care professionals. Physicians and outpatient services are also filling up several sizeable professional office buildings that are complete or near completion in the hospital’s vicinity.
The Lake Norman Regional medical staff numbers about 130 physicians‚ and in February 2007‚ the hospital received national recognition for nursing excellence. One of only 238 hospitals in the country to garner the honor‚ the medical center achieved Magnet® designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The nurses are among the first in the nation to master the SafeScan System – handheld‚ interactive devices designed to ensure medication accuracy.
The talented medical professionals in the region make it a point to give back to the community. Outreach is “a major focus for us and has been for years‚” Smith explains. “We’ve made it company policy here.”
A full-time community outreach director coordinates health fairs and free screenings‚ and physicians and other medical personnel volunteer at the HealthReach Community Clinic in Mooresville and other free clinics in the area.
“Our doctors have really made this community their home‚ and I think that’s what separates us a little bit from the bigger places. There is a real sense of community‚” he adds.
At Iredell Memorial Hospital in Statesville‚ which nabbed two national awards for customer service in July 2007‚ physicians donate their time to the Open Door Clinic.
“This medical community is very giving of their own time‚ seeing a good number of patients who have no means of paying for their care‚” says Ed Rush‚ Iredell president and CEO. “They do it willingly‚ openly‚ and that’s a tough balance nowadays.”
Rush notes that the nonprofit hospital’s bylaws‚ written when the facility opened in 1954‚ endorse disease prevention‚ wellness and health education.
“The individuals who established this hospital had great foresight‚” he says. “That is something I take to heart.”
With the hearts of its patients in mind‚ Iredell was the first hospital in the county to offer noninvasive heart scans beginning in July 2007. The sophisticated CT scanner is able to take 192 images of the heart per second.
“We operate at a very modest margin‚ and that allows us to take and reinvest in technology upgrades to the hospital‚ maintaining the best of care‚” Rush says.
Other hospitals and medical groups in the area – and their productive staffs – also contribute to wellness and community education. Piedmont Health Care offers a number of outpatient services‚ plus urgent care in both Mooresville and Statesville. Carolinas Medical Center–NorthEast‚ in Concord‚ features six Centers of Excellence‚ including the Batte Cancer Center and the Cannon Heart Center. At Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville‚ The Solomon House offers advocacy‚ information and referrals to community health resources for the area’s underserved population.
