CovingtonCares Magazine - Fall/Winter 2023

Earlier this year, Family Medical moved to a new freestanding location and was rebranded as CCH Clinic Family Medical. Makeovers The Emergency Department admissions area, waiting room, and restroom will get a makeover. So will the upstairs nurses’ station. And the hospital will build a new Intensive Outpatient Psychotherapy Department. Studying patient flow showed the need for another small addition to the construction plan, Gibbes said: “a secondary waiting area so that they don’t have to return to the original waiting area if they need additional testing.” Reducing Stress Hospital visits are inherently stressful. Streamlining the patient’s journey – and reducing the chances of getting lost in unfamiliar hallways – can relieve some of that tension. “We’re also going to tear down all those buildings across the street from the hospital that we own and clear those lots,” Gibbes said. “So we’ll make some parking over there.” The upgrades constitute the second phase of CCH’s Master Facility Plan. Gibbes said the hospital created the master plan several years ago and periodically updates it. Being Proactive “It’s a proactive strategy, versus waiting for something to break,” he said. Magee General Hospital in Magee and Simpson General Hospital in Mendenhall are also grant recipients and will be undertaking major construction projects. Magee is renovating its interior, and Simpson is starting work on a new Med-Surg wing, Emergency Department, and Outpatient Center. “This is incredibly positive for CCH as well as MGH and SGH hospitals entering into the consortium,” said Gibbes. “Collaboration has improved resources and expertise with the current agreements. Now with South Central Medical Center of Laurel in the mix, each of the small rural hospitals anticipates an even greater ability to remain independent and survive in a tremendously challenging industry environment.” CovingtonCares 15 “We have created this new model of operating independent hospitals,” – Gregg Gibbes, Administrator and CEO