Four Roane County physicians have relocated their offices to the new 24,000-square-foot Roane Medical Plaza.
Drs. Ron Higgs, Lorraine Byrd, Mancel Wakham, and Kent Latham have completed the moves to their newly built office space located at 2497 South Roane Street in Harriman at the intersection of Patton Lane and Highway 27. Roane Medical Plaza, built by Fortress Corporation, a member of Covenant Health, will be home to these physicians and other local healthcare providers and services.
Roane Medical Plaza is the result of a strategic partnership formed in 1996 between Covenant Health and Roane Medical Center. The two organizations have been working together to enhance access to primary care in Roane County.
Covenant Health was formed in 1996 by the consolidation of Fort Sanders Health System and MMC HealthCare System of Oak Ridge.
"Since the closure of both Chamberlain Memorial Hospital, which had been an institution since 1917, and Baptist Hospital/Rockwood, we, as physicians, faced many challenges in addressing the community's needs," says Dr. Higgs. "But I am a firm believer that out of adversity comes advancement and this wonderful new facility is one of the first steps in improving our healthcare system in Roane County and the surrounding area."
"Healthcare in Roane County will be enhanced by this consolidation of primary care physicians in one central location," states Jim Gann, administrator of Roane Medical Center. "Consolidation of this many primary care doctors will attract badly needed specialists to our area."
According to Gann, office space in the building is also being leased by Roane Medical Center which will in turn promote the use of the space through time-share agreements with medical specialists.
All the physicians agreed that the move to Roane Medical Plaza will allow them to affirm their commitment to the people of Roane County and the surrounding area. The plaza will be beneficial to patients because of its central location in the county and the convenience of shared resources. In addition, some lab and x-ray services will be available on-site through a cooperative arrangement with Roane Medical Center.
Dr. Higgs has been in practice in Roane County since 1990 and operates a primary care/family practice serving approximately 2,500 active patients with six employees.
"My patients are not just patients to me, they are my friends," Dr. Higgs says. "This relationship has proven to work well for both of us."
Dr. Wakham, a Mississippi native, opened his primary care/family practice in Rockwood in 1993. Dr. Wakham is currently vice chief of staff for Roane Medical Center. His practice serves approximately 2,800 active patients and he employs a staff of seven.
Serving the community's pediatric needs is Roane Pediatric Clinic's Dr. Byrd. She says the new state-of-the-art facility will strengthen the services she provides.
"Because of our recent affiliation with Oak Ridge Pediatric Clinic and our move to this wonderful new building, pediatric care in Roane County has more resources to pull from," states Dr. Byrd.
Dr. Byrd's pediatric practice is growing from its current 2,000 active patients. She plans to expand her practice in the future by adding a nurse practitioner or another physician to her present staff of three. Originally from West Virginia, Dr. Byrd began her pediatric practice four years ago in Rockwood.