Gathering impresses officials, public
Robbinsville – The building is the same; yet, the provider’s philosophy is much different.
Since the county-owned facility at 21 South Main Street was converted into an urgent care, commissioners have struggled to find the right combination of compassion and funding that would keep the center afloat.
It seems that after eight years, the third time’s the charm: AdventHealth is now in Graham County, with a lengthy history and faith-based mindset that will serve local residents well.
An open house Tuesday welcomed an estimated 150 members of the public, as numerous AdventHealth personnel mingled with and fielded questions from anyone who sought answers.
The unveiling is the culmination of one solid year of behind-the-scenes negotiations and precise attention to detail, aimed solely at making sure Graham County residents are not left out of the latest advancements in medical care simply because of their location on a map.
“There’s so many people that have played such a large part in this,” said Juanita Colvard, county transit director and the unofficial local advocate for urgent care.
“We’ve got a lot of heat; we’ve failed twice. We won this time; AdventHealth is the fix. I’m so pleased about that.”
Commissioners Lynn Cody, Keith Eller, Connie Orr and Natasha Williams were on-hand for the opening, as were several county employees; residents who will be part of day-to-day operations as staff inside the facility; and even higher-ranking officials like District 50 Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Franklin) and District 120 Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Franklin). Rep. Chuck Edwards’ (R-Hendersonville) field representative Lake Silvers was also in attendance for the historic afternoon.
“I’m just happy when things come together like people said they were going to,” Corbin said. “I appreciate you being men and women of your word. Thank you, for what this is going to mean to Graham County. This is huge.”
Imaging equipment peppered around the building drew a seemingly-general consensus from onlookers, as most had no idea a CT scanner or even a mammogram was available in the county. The brand-new GE x-ray glistened under the fluorescent lighting of the radiology wing: a trophy that will soon be broken in.
The availability of the devices have been a part of the building since Smoky Mountain Urgent Care first entered into a lease to provide services in Graham County some eight years ago. Following an April 1, 2016 launch, Smoky Mountain Urgent Care maintained residency in the facility until January 2023, when the county won a lawsuit against the lessee for numerous contractual violations – namely, obligated hours of operation being ignored and those same pieces of equipment sitting dormant in darkened rooms: out of sight, out of mind.
The county attempted to hand off the task to another provider just 2 ½ weeks after Smoky Mountain Urgent Care closed up shop. The operation bustled in the beginning, but failed six months into the venture due to a lack of accreditation.
AdventHealth officials also confirmed to The Graham Star that operations would begin Monday, Sept. 16. The current plan is to have the center open 3-4 days a week, while continuing to build up staff and a rapport with locals. The lack of faith residents have in the facility is understandable, due to the first two miscues; now, a deal is in place that everyone feels comfortable with.
“AdventHealth answered a divine call to come here,” Orr added.
According to the company’s website, AdventHealth’s mission statement states, “Our faith-based mission is the foundation for everything we do. We believe health should be measured in terms of the whole person – body, mind and spirit. And it’s our promise to you to help you feel whole. With world-class expertise and uncommon compassion, we’re here for you through every phase of life.”
AdventHealth was founded in 1973.