Harnett County, N.C. (January 25, 2013) – Central Harnett Hospital in Lillington had a successful opening week. Harnett Health President and CEO Ken Bryan said, “This has been a very smooth opening for the new hospital. What we have learned is that planning, having strong partners in design and construction, having top-of-the-line employees, investing in state-of-the-art technology, and simulating activities well before opening leads to a successful beginning.”

More than 315 patients were seen in the emergency department, and several surgeries, including emergency surgeries, were performed at Central Harnett Hospital from opening day on Friday, January 18, through Thursday afternoon, January 24. Also, admitted patients have already nearly filled the twenty bed side of the inpatient floor.

“As a surgeon who has performed surgery at the new Central Harnett Hospital and as the Harnett Health Chief of Staff, I am impressed with the employees, the technology, the equipment and the facility,” said Dr. Sandy Hawkins. “Hospital operations are running very well, and we look forward to serving you and your family’s healthcare needs at Central Harnett Hospital.”

“Volumes in our new hospital are higher than we originally anticipated,” commented Bryan. “These numbers demonstrate the need for access to local healthcare in our area, and we are very pleased that the community has entrusted us to provide them with quality, local healthcare.”

A key strategy in preparing for the opening of Central Harnett Hospital was implementing an Incident Command Center before and throughout the opening weekend. Staffed from Thursday through Monday, Harnett Health leadership monitored all aspects of patient care, staffing, information systems and technologies, etc., to ensure a smooth opening and that a smooth operation was well underway.

About Central Harnett Hospital
Central Harnett Hospital opened January 18, 2013 and is located in the Brightwater Park in Lillington, N.C. Central Harnett Hospital is a $56 million investment, and the single largest capital project in Harnett County’s history. The two-story, 122,500 square foot building has 50 private inpatient beds including a special care unit, an emergency department, three operating rooms, imaging services, laboratory services and more! Physicians and specialties offered at the new hospital include Orthopedics, Cardiology, Ear, Nose, and Throat, General Surgery, Gynecology, Emergency Department, Hospitalists, Urology, Family Practice, Internal Medicine and Pathology.