RHCC breaks ground for future medical center in Fairmont

FAIRMONT — More than 40 people assembled in Fairmont at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new South Robeson Medical Center.

The new medical center will replace the center at 1212 Walnut St. The new center will be located on South Walnut Street across from Ed F. Hodges Service Station and behind First Bank.

“Our people, our residents deserve the best … we need to provide the best,” said Tim Hall, Robeson Health Care Corporation’s CEO. The center is one of 11 owned and operated by the Health Care Corporation.

The current center is in need of repairs and is one of RHCC’s “busiest health centers,” said Jennifer McLamb, COO of RHCC.

Timeline

The new location will allow residents to access health care more conveniently and is within walking distance of downtown businesses, she said. The project is to be completed by June 30, 2023 if no significant delays occur.

“That’s what we’re hoping for,” McLamb said.

McLamb told The Robesonian delays have occurred in the project because of supply chain issues.

“COVID has affected the supply chains drastically,” she said.

Dimensions and care

The new center will span about 12,553 square feet and will include eight dental exam rooms, 12 regular exam rooms, office spaces and other areas, McLamb said. The center’s parking lot, which is situated on about 2.5 acres, will have more than 100 parking spaces.

The center will offer behavioral health care, psychiatric services, primary health care and dental services, she said. An obstetrician also will be on staff to provide care for pregnant women.

Fairmont Mayor Charles Kemp said the center will direct people to the downtown area and is an asset to the town.

“We’re so grateful as a community for what you have done and what you are going to do,” Kemp said.

Interim Town Manager Jenny Larson told The Robesonian she is excited about the construction of a new center.

“It’s gonna be a shining star for our citizens,” she said. “I was glad to be a part of helping them find a perfect location.”

Cost

The project totals an estimated $3.8 million, McLamb said.

RHCC received a $1 million disaster recovery grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to aid in the project.

The center will install generators to respond quickly and provide access to medications in the event of a disaster like a hurricane, she said.

First Bank is financing the project, she said. K&C Contractors and LL&J engineers are working on the project.

Staff

McLamb told The Robesonian the center will house an estimated total of 25 employees.

Staff members in the new center are to include an OB provider, dentist, up to two dental hygienists, nurses and other staff members, she said.

Support

“Robeson Health Care is making a commitment,” Hall said. ” … So I am asking you to be our marketing, our voice, our horn in the community.”

Hall told residents in attendance that the new center needs the community’s support “because if you don’t support it, it won’t survive.”