Ribbon Cutting of the Bland County Medical Clinic

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Bastian, Virginia

    I am pleased to return to Bland County this afternoon to celebrate the completion of a major expansion and renovation project at the Bland County Medical Clinic.  Improving the quality of life for the residents of Southwest Virginia is among my highest priorities.  For that reason, I work closely with healthcare providers across the Ninth Congressional District to secure federal funding to expand access to high quality health care services for our region's residents.  Since 2004, more than $2.8 million in federal funding has been provided to expand and improve services at the Bland County Medical Clinic.

    The Bland County Medical Clinic first opened its doors in 1979 to serve Bland and Wythe County residents, regardless of the patient's ability to pay. Since that time, the Clinic has seen a dramatic increase in patient visits each year, and the Clinic now provides care to patients from not only Bland and Wythe Counties but also Giles and Tazewell Counties in Virginia and Mercer County in West Virginia.

     In 2000, approximately 6,000 patients visited the Clinic seeking medical care. Since that time, the number of patient visits has increased to more than 19,000, and the number of patient visits is expected to continue to grow. In order to account for the great increase in patient visits, a major renovation and expansion of the Clinic began in 2006, and today's celebration marks the completion of this project. The Clinic has expanded from its previous size of 5,780 square feet to 13,633 square feet. This addition will increase the number of patient examination rooms to 13, expand the waiting area, add one treatment room and add two quick care rooms for walk-in patients. In addition, the Clinic will be purchasing a new X-Ray machine which will allow Clinic staff to process X-Ray images in a more efficient manner than the current machine allows.  The new machine will allow Clinic staff to electronically transmit X-Ray images to Wythe County Hospital to be read by a radiologist.  Currently, Clinic staff must drive X-Ray films to Wythe County for reading.

The total cost of the expansion and renovation project is $2,279,578, $1,704,098 of which has been provided by federal funding sources.  At my urging, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Agency provided a low-interest federal  loan in the amount of $918,729 and a federal grant in the amount of $50,000.  A federal Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $650,000 has been provided to aid this project.  The Clinic has also utilized $85,369 remaining from a 2004 Department of Health and Human Services grant.  The Clinic has raised $139,673 in private donations from members of the community, and the Virginia Healthcare Foundation is providing a grant in the amount of $200,000. In addition, an anonymous donor has provided funds in the amount of $140,000. The Clinic utilized $43,807 of its own funds for the renovation and expansion efforts, and the Wythe-Bland Foundation has awarded the clinic $52,000 grant for the project.

In August 2004, I announced a federal grant in the amount of $1.2 million provided to the Clinic by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. More than $1 million of these funds have been used by the Clinic to hire nine additional staff, including a physician, a nurse practitioner, two nurses, a dietician, a Chief Financial Officer and support staff.  This additional staff has made it possible for the Clinic to provide primary care services for a greater number of patients. 

A portion of the funds have been used to purchase new medical and computer equipment and to hire an architect to design the expansion and renovation of this facility. New computer equipment has been purchased to replace outdated models, new furnishings have been purchased for the waiting area, and updated medical equipment and furnishings have been purchased for the examination rooms. 

I would like to say a word of thanks to a number of individuals who have been instrumental in the success of this project.

Susan Greever, Executive Director of the Bland County Medical Clinic, deserves our recognition this afternoon for her tireless efforts in support of this project. Susan led the Clinic's planning and fund-raising efforts for the Clinic expansion and renovation for a number of years.

I also want to thank Bob Bruce, Chairman of the Clinic's Board of Directors, and the other members of the Board for their steadfast commitment to the continued success and growth of the Clinic.

I would also like to commend the Virginia Healthcare Foundation, the Wythe-Bland Foundation, and the community members who have contributed to the success of this project. I also want to thank Travis Jackson, the Area Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Agency, for his efforts to secure the federal funds which made the expansion and renovation of the Clinic possible.

Finally, I want to recognize my Project Manager Derek Lyall for his persistent and persuasive work in support of this project.

I congratulate you on the completion of this project at the Bland County Medical Clinic.  We are taking a critical step in meeting the Clinic's goal of providing the best health care possible to residents of Bland, Wythe, Giles and Tazewell Counties.