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Description

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But more than a welcome we want to introduce you to a tradition of health care excellence rooted deeply in the local community It is a tradition we take very seriously It is a tradition of providing stateoftheart technology and quality care It is a tradition of treating everyone regardless of their economic background or ability to pay like a neighbor a friend and a member of the community in which we live

Nash Health Care is a notforprofit health care authority comprised of four distinct hospitals on one campus Nash General Hospital Nash Day Hospital Coastal Plain Hospital and the Bryant T Aldridge Rehabilitation Center

The tradition of Nash Health Care is one that spans more than three decades of service a combination of compassion and hightech science an essence of excellence and national recognition infused with a communityminded consciousness a consciousness based upon our mission to provide quality health care services and to help improve the health of the community in a caring efficient and financially sound manner

So whether you want to search for a physician search for a job or just acquaint yourself with our hospital look around And visit our site often

About Us
How do you define tradition

Is it something that conjures the warmth of family and neighbors or is it something that creates a track record of excellence

At Nash Health Care we believe it is a little bit of both

Not only has Nash Health Care been the leading regional health care provider for more than 35 years but we have incorporated much more than the latest stateoftheart technology coupled with worldclass care We realize that as a community health care center our patients are not just patients they are a part of our community They are our neighbors our friends our church and civic club members As a result they are a part of us

It shouldnt be surprising that we take our community responsibility so seriously After all the groundwork for Nash Health Care was forged by community leaders who had a vision for the future of health care in their community Take a few moments to read our history because who we are not only encompasses where we are going but it incorporates where we have been

Our Mission
To provide quality health care services and to help improve the health of the community in a caring efficient and financially sound manner

Our Mission
To provide superior quality health care services and to help improve the health of the community in a caring efficient and financially sound manner

Our Profile
Nash Health Care is a nonprofit hospital authority comprised of five licensed hospitals totaling 403 beds Nash General Hospital Nash Day Hospital the Bryant T Aldridge Rehabilitation Center Community Hospital and Coastal Plain Hospital It serves Nash Edgecombe Halifax Wilson and Johnston counties but draws patients from beyond these areas as well

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History

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Our History
THE STORY OF NASH GENERAL HOSPITAL is a story that needs to be told It is more than a story about buildings and healthcare It is the story of a community of people seeing a vital need and working together to accomplish a common goal It is a story about vision leadership courage compromise cooperation determination and ultimate success

By 1940 four hospitals were located in Rocky Mount Seaboard Coast Line The Rocky Mount Sanitarium Park View Hospital and Memorial Hospital This system served the population well However by the 1960s these hospitals were struggling The swelling population the explosion of medical technology and rising costs were straining the system

On February 18 1965 Mr Kemp Battle a respected attorney and lifelong resident of Rocky Mount issued the call for a new medical facility in a speech before the Rocky Mount Kiwanis Club

Four months later on June 18 1965 the Nash County Board of Commissioners announced the formation of a Hospital Study Committee headed by Herman Merrell The committee was charged with the responsibility of determining the countys medical care needs and how they could be met

The committee moved swiftly and by November 1965 a consulting firm had completed a thorough study This report included a recommendation for a 350bed hospital

The County Commissioners accepted the recommendation and put the proposal before the citizens of Nash County for a 55 million bond referendum This amount would be supplemented by an additional 3 million in federal funds should the referendum be approved

The vision for a new hospital had reached a crucial juncture The future of the communitys healthcare and quality of life was in the balance The campaign was intense for andn against

Voters approved the bond issue by a margin of only 221 votes

One month later in May of 1966 the Commissioners named a ninemember board of trustees The first board members were George Watson Chairman Larry Bass Roy Cooper Jr Archie McLean Frank Meadows Jr Henry Milgrom William Stanley William Toney and WS Williams Jr

With the bond issue approved and the hospital board organized the project needed professional guidance After an intense fivemonth search a 32year old Kinston native working at Greenville General Hospital was chosen to oversee planning construction and management of the new facility Bryant Aldridge assumed his responsibilities on November 1 1966

The vision soon reached its second critical juncture On November 23 1966 the board announced that after studying more than 20 possible sites a 102acre site west of Rocky Mount on US 64 had been chosen

But plans for a nearby rock quarry operation prompted trustees to consider other possible sites

Several months later the board approved the purchase of site number 2 where Nash Community College is currently located

Announcement of the new site sparked intense public discussion Distance from a concentrated population center the prohibitively high cost of extending utilities to the location accessibility and other factors caused the board to seek yet a third site

Agreement was soon reached on placing the new hospital at site number 3 until the landowner refused the purchase offer

After nearly a year of public discussion and in consideration of proximity to the medical community cost of extending utilities to the site and ease of access from major roadways the board voted unanimously to return to site number 1 Nash Generals current location

One month later construction bids totaling more than 7 million were approved The last major hurdle had been surmounted and Nash County would have its hospital

Ground was broken to begin construction on the 102acre site on July 22 1968 It would be three years before the first patient would be admitted Within those three years more than onstruction would need to take place to prepare for the opening Work had begun as early as 1967 to structure the new hospitals medical staff After two years of work the medical staff was formally organized and elected its first officers in June 1969 Dr KD Weeks President Dr John Chambliss VicePresident Dr Leon Robertson Secretary As construction was completed and the day for Nash Generals opening drew near a new volunteer organization the Nash General Hospital Auxiliary was established to provide an opportunity for continued community involvement in the new hospital and to offer vital services to patients and staff

Dedication ceremonies were held on April 25 1971 with an estimated 6500 Nash County citizens touring the new hospital following the ribbon cutting Participating in the ribbon cutting were Dr KD Weeks Kemp Battle WS Williams Jr Mrs Herman Merrell Fred Harris and Dr I Taylor

Three weeks after the dedication on May 16 1971 the first patients were transferred from Park View Hospital and Memorial Hospital as these facilities ceased operation The old Coastline Hospital had already closed

A new era had begun A community of people had identified a need and worked together to accomplish their goal Together these exceptional people had surmounted the obstacles to provide for their present and future health care needs Medical care resources and technology previously unavailable were now accessible to all citizens in the countyowned notforprofit hospital The vision courage cooperation and determination of community leaders their teamwork had paid off

During the next 30 years Nash General Hospital would grow into Nash Health Care and bring to our community the latest in medical technology including angiography ultrasound imaging nuclear medicine mammography computer tomography CT scanning neurosurgery magnetic resonance imaging MRI lithotripsy and cardiac catheterization Our modern facilities and cutting edge technology would also bring the best and brightest medical professionals to our community

In 1984 our innovative efforts gave birth to a unique concept that would allow treatments and surgeries to be performed on an outpatient basis Signaling the wave of the future Nash Day Hospital was opened in October 1984 with Brad Weisner appointed President of the new hospital

The hospital built a stateoftheart heart catheterization lab in 1990

In 1991 the Womens Center at Nash General Hospital ushered in new technologies and advantages for expecting parents From Lamaze to breastfeeding the Center offers a variety of classes to help mothers and fathers prepare for their new arrivals While birthing rooms in the Womens Center are designed to look like home they are fully equipped with stateoftheart fetal monitoring and emergency equipment In todays hightech medical environment the Womens Center at Nash General Hospital enables parents to bring their babies into the world in a warm and caring environment

In July 1993 Nash Health Care showcased its commitment to quality care with the opening of the new 23500 squarefoot Emergency Care Center From the design of the building to the selection of equipment to the positioning of the staff everything about the ECC focuses on responding to the needs of the patient

In 1994 Nash Health Care acquired Coastal Plain Hospital Coastal Plain is a 50bed mental health facility offering comprehensive inpatient and outpatient treatment services to eastern North Carolina Counseling services are available 24hours a day and are designed to help children adolescents adults and senior citizens with emotional and behavioral problems including drug and alcohol abuse

In a move designed to improve the quality of health care offered to the residents of our region Nash Health Care purchased Community Hospital of Rocky Mount and assumed operational responsibility on February 1 1997 Continuing its expansion in facilities and programs within the next two years Nash Health Care opened Rocky Mount Nash Pediatrics and moved into a new 20000 squarefoot ICULab expansion We launched Community Health Services with the responsibility to identify regional health needs and develop programs and resources to address those needs This most recent expansion phase culminated in the November 1999 opening of the freestanding Bryant T Aldridge Rehabilitation Center named after Bryant T Aldridge who had retired the previous year after 32 years of service

The story is not finished As we conclude more than three decades of quality health care to our community and begin a new era our enduring philosophy and exceptional people the 1700 employees nearly 200 physicians and 400 plus volunteers all dedicated to quality progressive care will continue to improve the lives of area citizens As Nash Health Care journeys into the next millennium we are anxious to continue building relationships working with people and serving our community