Amy Downey, vice president of finance, and Doug Bentz, CEO, stand among photos of the new facility which will open in spring 2021. (Photo by Candice Black)

SPENCER — Trusted care closer to home will become more advanced as the Roane General Hospital in Spencer breaks ground Thursday on a $22 million project for a new face, programs and facilities.

The expansion, the hospital’s way of celebrating its 50 years of service to the Roane County community, is set to be completed in spring 2021.

The theme for the project, according to CEO Doug Bentz, is “building a healthy community.”

“It’s not necessarily as much about health care as it is about health,” Bentz said.

Fifty years ago, the hospital was built as an in-patient facility, Bentz said.

This provides an aerial view of what the finished project will look like, set to be completed in 2021. (Photo Provided)

“We have the opportunity here to renovate and then expand to transform the hospital to more of an out-patient emphasis,” Bentz said.

The decision for that transition was due to medical trends and updated technologies, Bentz said.

Funds for the project were obtained through the USDA which will go toward completing the project and other debts that needed paid off, Bentz said.

A project goal statement was completed by the hospital to provide a guideline and a list of what the project is set to accomplish.

Putting the patient at the “center of the equation,” Bentz said, is a vision of the project.

Other areas of focus are to further develop a health and wellness culture within the hospital, emphasize the patient experience, enhance private and personalized care, improve clinical integration of ancillary, improve operational efficiencies and create a wellness hub for the community.

Patients will experience a one-stop shop at the new facility with all services are in the same building. If someone needs to visit urgent care and the situation is a little more serious, the emergency room is next door.

After being discharged from the emergency room, a follow up with a specialist or a primary care physician may be necessary. All of those services will be under one roof.

Since primary care physicians and specialists will be in the same area, they will be able to collaborate and coordinate, Bentz said. More square footage will also be available for these offices.

A new front will be added to the current building, referred to as the ‘front of house’ or the public area.

“The public can go throughout the organization by not encroaching on the patient hallways and the patient care areas,” Bentz said. “There’s going to be a separation between the public and the patient and staff areas.”

Three entrances will be incorporated in the project. One entrance, focused on health and wellness, will include a fitness area, physical therapy, a rehab center and a medical office building.

“That’s about health, you need to go to your doctor to maintain good health,” Bentz said.

The vision for the health and wellness center is to provide a place for people to come together, drink coffee or attend the fitness center. A healthy cafe featuring nutritious food options will be available.

The second entrance will serve the emergency room and urgent care walk in services. The emergency room will be doubled in size, Bentz said. The extra square footage will provide walls and doors for more privacy for patients and family members.

The third entrance will be for hospital-based services.

“You’re going to be able to access registration as soon as you walk up the stairs,” Bentz.

This area will include lab services, imaging, infusion therapy, stress tests and other outpatient services, Bentz said.

“We’re trying to wrap services around the patient,” Bentz said. “It’s about the patient experience.”

A community conference room will also be housed in the new building for different community functions.

“We want this to be a landing zone for the community,” Bentz said.