Health Care Services
Burke
County is fortunate to be served by a number of healthcare entities
which allows its residents to seek care from a variety of healthcare
providers. Two hospitals located within Burke County include Grace Hospital
in Morganton and Valdese Hospital, which is located in the eastern part
of the county. Both hospitals, with a total of 376 beds belong to the
Blue Ridge HealthCare Systems, which is affiliated with the Charlotte
based Carolina HealthCare Systems. Blue Ridge HealthCare recently completed
a $100 million renovation/expansion program which includes new operational
centers, pediatric units, cancer center, Magnetic Resonance Imaging
and CT systems.
In addition to Grace and Valdese Hospitals, many Burke County residents
seek treatment at Frye Regional Medical Center. Frye Regional Medical
Center, part of Tenet North Carolina, is a 355-bed acute care facility
located at 420 North Center Street in Hickory. The hospital has been
serving the medical and health care needs of the area since 1911. The
hospital’s main campus includes a comprehensive heart center and cardiopulmonary
rehab, orthopedics, bariatric surgery, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation,
restorative care unit, pediatrics, center for neurosciences, cancer
center and women’s pavilion. Frye has several extended campuses to serve
families throughout the area, including FryeCare, an outpatient diagnostic
facility; Frye Industrial Health Services, which provides extensive
industrial services and programs to employers; Frye Wellness and Education
Center, which houses the Center For Diabetes Self-Management Care, perinatal
education and community wellness classes; Infusion Care; Piedmont Therapy,
offering sports and industrial rehabilitation; South Campus for psychiatric
services; Tate Surgery Center; Unifour Pain Treatment Center; Unifour
Pulmonology; two urgent care facilities; and Vein and Wound Center.
Frye Regional Medical Center is accredited by the Joint Commission on
the Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation
agency. To learn
more about the hospital, visit www.fryemedctr.com
.
Others seek healthcare at Mission Hospitals in Asheville, which is situated
in the gorgeous French Broad River valley amid the Blue Ridge and Great
Smoky mountains, approximately 45 minutes west of Burke County. Mission
was recently named Top 50 in Orthopedics by the U.S. News and World
Report and as one of the nation's top 100 Heart Hospitals by Solucient
in 2005, 2004 and 2000. Mission Hospitals formed an affiliation with
McDowell Hospital in Marion, just minutes away from Burke County. Also
located in Asheville is the Asheville VA Medical Center. This 112 bed
acute care facility, along with a separate 120 bed extended care and
rehabilitation center, serves veterans from North Carolina and portions
of South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia.
Burke County residents also have the option of choosing healthcare at
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, ninety
miles east on I-40, and many other top-rated hospitals in Greensboro,
Charlotte and other areas throughout North Carolina, including several
fine local hospitals in surrounding counties.
Each fire district in Burke County furnishes fire protection and first
responder services. First responders are located in all communities
and often arrive upon the scene where assistance is needed prior to
the advanced life support services. They render basic life support and
stabilization services until the advanced life support unit arrives.
Burke County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provides the advanced
life support services throughtout the county. Five (5) ambulances operate
24 hours per day seven (7) days per week. A sixth unit is available
forty (40) hours per week.
Three EMS units are located in Morganton, one in Glen Alpine (western
part of the County), and one each in Hildebran and Rutherford College
(eastern Burke County). An additional advanced life support unit is
stationed in Jonas Ridge located in the extreme northwestern part of
the county. The EMS units are backed up by members of the Burke County
Rescue Squad. In addition, a helicopter is stationed at Grace Hospital
to fly patients that need special treatment to hospitals outside of
Burke County. The Burke County Sheriff's Office maintains a RUOK program
for seniors. Those involved in the program receive three calls each
day to be sure that they are not in need of emergency services. If the
senior does not respond, an employee of the Sheriff's Department is
dispatched to the home of the senior. Indeed, when it comes to finding
a healthcare provider, choices are plentiful. For most people, this
is an important requirement before deciding to relocate to any community.
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