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Healthcare has gone west and grown up with the county.

Covenant Health employees, government officials and other regional dignitaries gathered to celebrate the opening of Morristown-Hamblen West, a new 67,000-square-foot building located on Merchants Greene Blvd. that will expand healthcare options in the Lakeway Region by providing emergency care, breast imaging, diagnostic imaging, primary care and physician offices.

“The opening of Morristown-Hamblen West reflects Covenant Health’s focus on providing the right care, at the right time, at the right place,” Jim VanderSteeg, president and chief executive officer of Covenant Health, said at the ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday. “The new facility brings much needed services and resources to the community of Morristown, furthering the high-quality care that Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System can provide.”

Covenant Health officials repeatedly expressed their commitment to serve Morristown and the surrounding area.

“I want you all to know that Covenant Health has a plan for Morristown,” Gordon Lintz, chief administrative officer of Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System, said. “I often get asked, ‘Is Morristown on the Covenant Health radar?’ Yes. ‘Does Covenant Health know what’s going on in Morristown?’ Absolutely.”

Monday will see the Morristown-Hamblen West ready for business, with the expanded healthcare options ready to serve the needs of a growing community.

Census data shows the Hamblen County has grown from 58,000 residents to over 65,000 in the first two decades of this century. In addition, thousands of commuters come into the county everyday to work.

Morristown Mayor Gary Chesney noted the growth and the way the new facility will help the region address related challenges.

“As Morristown continues to grow, so grows the need for expanding quality healthcare services, and Morristown-Hamblen West is stepping up to meet that need,” Chesney said. “Now having a second emergency room that includes a diagnostic center is a huge plus for Morristown and the surrounding region it serves.”

The new medical campus is a $38.5 million project that will see the bottom floor of the facility expand the breadth of health services available to local residents including a 12 bed emergency-care wing that will relieve an often times crowded main unit at Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System.

New technologies fill the space such as two “negative pressure” rooms that isolate patients and their surrounding air, deemed to pose an infectious illness risk without having to set up the plastic sheet and tape structures typically associated with dangerous illnesses.

The plan is for Morristown-Hamblen West to offer emergency care to walk-in patients while ambulances will be routed to the main hospital. The new facility does have an ambulance bay for future use if needs dictate an evolution of services offered.

The top floor of the facility will be used for primary care facilities. The space is divided into four “pods” that will be shared by four primary care providers, two of which are new to the Covenant Health facilities in Morristown.

In total, Covenant Health reports the investment in the community is creating 25 new positions to go along with the impressive new facility.

Local artist Dan Gibson donated three paintings to the new women’s center which will be displayed for the encouragement of those undergoing routine preventative procedures such as mammograms and other specialized treatments.

These procedures include:

• 3D Mammography

• Breast Ultrasound

• Breast MRI

• Mammography Sterotactic

• Bone Density testing

The paintings and other features such as a women-only waiting area are designed to create a welcoming and safe environment for those seeking treatement.

The diagnostic imaging onsite will be a boon to medical staff in the facility as they request scans such as X-rays and MRI’s. Formerly, the imaging center was located at its own facility away from any other medical office.

Lintz summed up the day.

“The new facility offers a variety of services to bring more accessible care to the Lakeway region. Whether you need emergency care or a routine checkup, Morristown-Hamblen West will be able to serve our local community.”