CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 37 Y ou could see and hear the construction workers above as they awaited the final steel beam about to be hoisted during the June 17 "Topping Off " ceremony for the Medical Education & Research and Neuroscience Institute, the $30 million addition to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. ere was anticipation. ere was a sense of pride. "It's the sound of progress," said Brian Pearce, Vice President of Facilities and Emergency Management for Cape Fear Valley Health, just before the huge crane lied the white beam for placement. "It began on the back of a napkin, and we are delighted to celebrate this today." No one may have been as proud of the moment as Dr. Donald Maharty, Vice President of Medical Education for Cape Fear Valley Health, and regional associate dean of the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine at Campbell University. Scheduled for completion in 2022, the structure will serve as home for the medical residency. e program, underway since 2017, anticipates training 300 residents annually in health care fields such as emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, cardiology, internal medicine, podiatry and psychiatry. e Medical Residency Program, Cape Fear Valley Health officials say, will have an economic impact of 900 new jobs and bring more than $500 million to the Cape Fear Region and to southeastern North Carolina in the ensuing decade. e program is about training "the next generation of physicians," with hopes that many graduates will choose to practice in southeastern North Carolina, including this community. And so far, so good says Dr. Maharty. "About half of our graduates choose to stay in the health system aer graduation and become part of our community," Dr. Maharty said. "Of the 30 graduates we've already had, a total of 15 will remain – two in OB/GYN, five in emergency medicine and eight in internal medicine. is is wonderful news for our community and its healthcare needs." "is is a cause more noble and greater than ourselves," he said. "With great dreams come great vision. We're excited" Equally proud was Mike Nagowski, the 55-year-old Chief Executive Officer for the health system. "Today, we are one step closer to greater health care in southeastern North Carolina," Nagowski said about the residency program. "ey'll be learning their cra, and this will be home for the Neuroscience Institute, too. You've done world-class work in facilities that don't match your skills." Nagowski said the Medical Education & Research and Neuroscience Institute, which will encompass 120,000 square feet, stand five stories high and include state-of-the- art classrooms, lecture halls and simulation labs, is a credit to the Cape Fear Valley Health board of trustees and the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation. "is program generates many positives for our community, positioning us as a regional leader in medical education while attracting talented young professionals to our community," says Robert Van Geons, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corp. "Like many metropolitan areas our size, it is oen hard to recruit established practitioners from larger, more well-known markets. As the impressive results of this effort demonstrate, once people get a chance to see first-hand what we have to offer, they are happy to make Fayetteville and Cumberland County their home. e investment of Cape Fear Valley Health and our community into this program will yield returns for years to come." HEALTH THE SOUND OF PROGRESS Final beam is placed on state-of-the-art residency structure BY BILL KIRBY JR.

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