Major renovation planned for Harris’ New Generations Birthing Center
A $5.5 million renovation and expansion of the New Generations Family Birthing Center at Harris Regional Hospital will soon be underway.
“We are modernizing the space to match the talent of our staff and physicians,” Harris CEO Steve Heatherly said. “We want to give them a state-of-the-art environment in which they take care of patients.”
It will be a busy year for Harris. A top-to-bottom renovation of the emergency department will soon get underway as well.
“The construction of both projects will be happening simultaneously,” Heatherly said.
Two years ago, a renovation of Harris’ labor-and-delivery wing, along with major equipment and technology upgrades, were carried out. A private fundraising campaign for the labor-and-delivery renovation brought in $600,000, more than half of which was set aside for architectural planning and site work for the larger project involving the entire mother-baby floor.
“We’ve always known other phases of the project were of much more significance,” Heatherly said. “This is a project that has been in the hopper for some time.”
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But Harris lacked the capital to take it on. That changed when Duke LifePoint, a national for-profit hospital company, bought Harris.
“Duke LifePoint Healthcare is delivering on its commitment to our hospital board and our community to complete the upgrade. We’re thrilled to serve our communities with a world-class destination for families,” Heatherly said.
The New Generations Family Birthing Center will feature fully renovated delivery suites, patient rooms, nursing stations and a dedicated operating room for C-sections.
Classes for new moms offered at Harris
Harris Regional Hospital will be holding free childbirth and breastfeeding classes beginning Feb. 2.
• “Understanding Birth” will be offered 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 2, 9 and 16, or a Saturday session 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 12.
• “Understanding Breastfeeding” will be offered 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 1. Classes will be offered bi-monthly on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
828.586.7907.
