NEWTON GROVE — At CommWell Health’s main campus, CEO Pam Tripp said it’s hard to squeeze in another cubical office inside the building.
“We’ve outgrown our space, but that’s a good problem,” she said with optimism about the central hub for 16 locations.
The nonprofit and Federally Qualified Health Care system is moving its administrative offices to Four Oaks to make room for improvements at the Newton Grove/Spivey’s Corner campus. Tripp is ready to see the renovations, which includes her own office.
“I have medical providers downstairs and they’re working in offices with their support staff back to back, in very small elevator-like spaces,” Tripp said about one of the pressure points.
Moving allows CommWell Health to accelerate a strategic plan for capital renovation and expansion in medical, dental and behavioral health. The vision is to move all services on the second level, with one centralized location for patients to check in and pharmacy needs.
“The navigation of our campus will be more easy for people to access the different departments and the flow will be very easy,” Tripp said.
Plans for the lower level include a community conference center to accommodate between 250 and 300 people for training and education. The community may also use the space for meetings or gatherings.
“There’s really not that much on this side of the county for that type of thing, so we want to open that up to the community,” Tripp said.
Tripp believes Sampson County will be proud of the improvements, which are expected to cost at least $3 million. Officials and board members are seeking grant opportunities for the expansions.
“I’m excited about those opportunities to help support this,” Tripp said. “We’re very proud of this campus.”
It may take a few years before renovations are complete on the main campus. A construction start date has not been set. She also wanted to clear up misconceptions about CommWell leaving Sampson County.
“This anchor is only getting stronger,” Tripp said. “It’s not getting weaker. I don’t want to everybody to think we’re abandoning the ship. We need to leave so we can expand.”
By the end of 2019 or early 2020, administrative and support services will be conducted in Four Oaks to support 16 locations throughout the southeastern region of North Carolina. The new CommWell Health Four Oaks Corporate Hub will be placed in the former Four Oaks Bank on Highway 301.
“The beauty of the building is that it was built for an administrative hub and that’s what we’re using it for,” Tripp said. “It really does meet our needs well.”
The Four Oaks hub in Johnston County will also eliminate the need for small storage buildings around CommWell Health campuses.
“We’re going to have that space for climate control things that need to be in storage,” she said. “We’ll be able to get rid of these little buildings everywhere and renovate this campus.”
Some of the administrative services include finances, scheduling, and referrals. About 60 people will be relocated, with about 125 staying in Newton Grove.
“We have a situation here where, frankly, the stars have completely aligned for the benefit not just the town of Four Oaks and CommWell Health, but for Sampson County as well,” stated Johnson Tilghman, chairman of the CommWell Health board, in a news release.
Tilghman added that both the Four Oaks administrative move and improvements at the Newton Grove/ Spivey’s Corner will have a positive impact on the local economy. According to CommWell officials, every federal dollar invested in a health center results in $3.34 in local economic impact.
“New opportunities like Newton Grove/Spivey’s Corner and Four Oaks create a greater demand for local goods and services and increased local tax revenue,” Tilghman said. “These are excellent community investments for Newton Grove/Spivey’s Corner and Four Oaks.”
Tripp is looking forward to seeing primary care growth at CommWell Health, which is oldest and largest campus. The 42-year-old location support seven providers including psychiatry, internal medicine, general dentistry and hygiene.
“We envision a beautiful, modern campus that emphasizes team-based and patient-centered care,” she said. “The renovated campus will be able to accommodate specialty care services typically available in specialty clinics. Leadership and the board of director’s priority is to continue to meet the health care needs of Sampson County and our surrounding counties.”
