More than a month after opening, the new Union Medical Center remains busy caring for the community. 

The new 99,600-square-foot Union Medical Center opened on 48 acres of land off Furman L. Fendley Highway. During the first day of operation on Feb. 11, the emergency room treated more than 60 patients. Since then, outpatient visits have increased by around 10% overall compared to operations at the former hospital, Union Medical Center President Paul Newhouse said recently during an interview with WBCU Radio. 

The new $55 million facility puts all hospital services and physician practices under one roof. 

Newhouse and Chief Nursing Officer Katie Henderson spoke of the feelings the staff experienced to both say goodbye to a longstanding facility and say hello to a brand-new building all in the same day. 

“There were tears. There were laughs. There were smiles. Opening day was bittersweet for our team,” Henderson said. “But they're all so excited. We love it. It’s our new home. It took a few days to get used to the new flow, but we’ve settled in, and we’re taking off at new levels. It’s a special place, and we love it!” 

All patients at the former hospital were transferred within a few hours of getting the new license, and the ER started taking patients right away. 

“We had no issues, and our team continued to provide safe, high-quality care at our new location,” Henderson said.  

The physician practices on the second floor of the building opened Feb. 12. Patients loved being the first ones to be treated in the new practices. 

Since then, the hospital has been vibrant and full of patient activity, Newhouse said. 

The new laboratory equipment has allowed for additional diagnostic testing. New state-of-the-art imaging equipment, such as a new CT scanner and two new X-ray machines, have been in frequent use for both hospital patients and those needing outpatient imaging visits. 

The hospital’s layout with inpatient beds adjacent to the emergency room has allowed for greater communication and workflow efficiencies among the nursing teams and physicians. 

Other new features including the Corner Café, a healing garden, a chapel, a history museum and a quarter-mile outdoor walking trail allow more access for the community to be engaged with Union Medical Center. These provide spaces where patients, guests and families can relax and feel comforted. 

Henderson and Newhouse both acknowledged the hard work of so many people to prepare for the opening of the new facility, which will provide quality health care for generations to come. 

“We could not have done this without our community and our team,” Henderson said. “We have had a great team planning for the past year to get us here. Everyone stepped up to the plate to make this dream come true and did a wonderful job.” 

“Now, we have a beautiful new building that both our associates and the community can be proud of for many years,” Newhouse said.