The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Local News

April 13, 2012

Hospital Gala: An evening of fun to fund a lifetime of help

Editor and Publisher John H. Walker

TARBORO — An evening of fun at the 8th annual Friends of Vidant Edgecombe Hospital Gala will help provide for a lifetime of help through the expansion of the hospital’s emergency department (ED).

The gala, with a theme of “An Evening by the Sea,” will get under way at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Thomas S. Fleming Building on the Tarboro campus of Edgecombe Community College.

This is the second of three years in which proceeds from the evening will go toward the ED expansion, according to Charles Alford, vice president of financial services at the hospital.

The 5,000 square-foot expansion will essentially double the available emergency beds — from the present nine rooms with six hallway spaces to 20-21 rooms — allowing for the facility to continue to grow from its current level of 25,000 patients per year.

Alford said a pre-bid meeting had been scheduled for Wednesday morning but was postponed because of a surprise site visit from the Joint Commission on Tuesday.

Alford said that once the pre-bid meeting is held, it would be about 60 days until a groundbreaking was scheduled.

He said getting to the point where a groundbreaking date could be discussed has been a long process.

“The current ED has been previously refurbished in about 2005 or 2006,” he said.

“We evaluated several options,” he said. “There had been a trend of building a free-standing department, but with a free-standing ED, you duplicate a number of things.”

He said the expansion would allow for a better patient flow.

The expansion will have a modern, sleek appearance, but will result in the relocation of the heliport. And in true trickle-down effect, the relocation of the heliport will necessitate a modification to the hugely popular walking track.

Bob Nicolosi, chairman of the hospital’s development council, said the council, “Is desperate for an expansion to better serve our community. Our goal is to ensure the people in our community have the opportunity to receive expert emergency care when they need it, in a larger, up-to-date and comfortable environment.”

About 250 persons are expected to attend. The Fantastic Shakers will provide music and On the Square will cater heavy hors d’oeuvres.

Corporate/Patron Sponsors



Major Gift ($10,000) — Vidant Edgecombe Hospital Volunteers

Gold Sponsor ($2,000) — Cummins-Rocky Mount Engine Plant, K&L Transport Services, LLC

Silver Sponsor ($1,000) — BB&T, The Heritage Bank, O’Malley Tunstall, PLLC, Sara Lee Bakery, Dr. and Mrs. Raj Sidhu

Bronze Sponsor ($500) — EMC Edgecombe Membership Cooperation, Hemby-Willoughby Mortuary, Keihin Carolina System Technology, Telco Credit Union, Providence Bank, Bobby Murray Toyota, Allegra Print & Imaging, On the Square, Ace Home Center, Edgecombe Community College, Nomaco

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