BOONES CREEK, TN - Wellmont Health System will seek state approval to construct Wellmont Emergency Care and Diagnostic Center at Boones Creek, a multi-faceted medical complex that will dramatically reduce ER wait times, improve access to primary-care and specialty physicians and restore healthcare choice for the people of Washington County.

The health system will file a certificate-of-need application for the groundbreaking project, which will include Tennessee's first freestanding emergency department, this month. Pending state approval, construction of the 30,000-square-foot facility will begin in early 2008 with a projected opening in the summer of 2009.

The medical complex represents a $41 million investment in Washington County.
"Seven years ago, the people and physicians of Washington County invited Wellmont to meet the community's healthcare needs," said Dr. Richard Salluzzo, Wellmont's president and chief executive officer. "In growing areas between Johnson City and Kingsport, it is clear the need for emergency, diagnostic and physician services has become more pronounced.

"With the opening of the Wellmont Emergency Care and Diagnostic Center at Boones Creek, we'll address Washington County's most pressing healthcare need - timely access to high-quality, cost-effective medical care."

Wellmont Emergency Care and Diagnostic Center at Boones Creek, to be conveniently located adjacent to Interstate 26, will be home to a fully equipped, 24-hour emergency department, a state-of-the-art diagnostic center and a medical office building for physicians.

The ER, operating as a service of Holston Valley Medical Center's emergency department and Level I trauma center, will be a full-service ER, not an urgent care center, and will provide the same services as a traditional hospital ER, including treatment for chest pain, illness, injuries and trauma. Patients requiring hospital admission will be transported via ground or air to Holston Valley Medical Center, Bristol Regional Medical Center or other facilities.
The ER will be staffed by board-certified emergency physicians and will feature:

- 11 ER exam rooms for emergency patients and four dedicated trauma bays for the critically injured

- Cutting-edge facilities and equipment for specialized pediatric, OB/GYN and orthopedic treatment

- Air transport via Wellmont One to Wellmont's tertiary referral centers in Kingsport and Bristol

The emergency department will be supported by an on-site diagnostic center that will offer laboratory services and a broad array of imaging services that will include CT scanning, ultrasound and mammography. In addition, Wellmont's physician partners, Cardiovascular Associates, Holston Medical Group and Wellmont Physician Services, will establish offices in an adjacent 20,000-square-foot medical office building, where physicians ranging from primary-care doctors to cardiologists will see patients.

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