Regional Hospital Teams with Local Developer

June 1, 2009
Brunswick Forest

OK, so you’ve scoured the coastal Carolinas in search of that perfect residential golf community with all the amenities, and you think you’ve found it: Tennis courts, check. Swimming pool, check. Clubhouse, check. On-site, expert medical care in a modern, new facility only minutes from your front door, hmmm…

At Brunswick Forest near historic Wilmington, NC, convenient, exceptional medical care is a must-have that residents can check off their list. In conjunction with nearby New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC), property developers are nearing completion on a 40,000-square-foot medical complex. When it opens in fall 2009, the new facility will give Brunswick Forest residents unparalleled access to expert health and diagnostic services.

“We are pleased to be working closely with Brunswick Forest to bring health and wellness services to the residents of Brunswick Forest and the surrounding areas,” says Martha Harlan, R.N., director of NHRMC marketing and public relations.

NHRMC’s decision to pair with Lord Baltimore Properties, developers of Brunswick Forest, was the result of years of thorough research and listening closely to the needs of the people in Brunswick County, adds John Gizdic, NHRMC vice president of strategic planning and business development.

“The healthcare needs of Brunswick County residents have always been a priority at NHRMC,” says Gizdic. “And when Brunswick Forest developers approached us about a mutual venture that would raise even further the standard of health care for all in the area, we were flattered and quickly embraced the opportunity.”

When completed, the new facility will offer a full range of comprehensive health and diagnostic services, including easy access to primary care and specialty physicians, as well as laboratory, imaging and urgent care services. The new medical facility will be located at the entrance to Brunswick Forest at The Villages, a 160-acre town center made up of more than 500,000 square feet of retail and professional establishments. “We intend for this to be a kind of one-stop shop for area residents’ medical needs,” says Harlan. “And one of the great advantages will be proximity—for most just a short walk or drive away.”

Brunswick Forest director of sales Jerry Helms agrees. “Most residents will be within walking or biking distance to a comprehensive network of highly trained physicians and specialists. It’s an amenity beyond compare, and will surely benefit the entire area,” he says.

Attracting a first-class medical facility has been a primary objective of Brunswick Forest planners since development began, says Helms.

“We knew health care was top of mind for our current and future residents. And the ability to partner with New Hanover Regional Medical Center—the region’s premier health care provider—is an amazing opportunity,” he says. “The medical complex will add value to the quality of life our residents enjoy.”

Comparing notes with and taking lessons from other coastal residential golf communities played a key role in discerning the need and vision for high quality medical care at Brunswick Forest, says Jimmy Sloan, Brunswick Forest director of operations.

“Our planning and development team did a lot of research, including traveling to other residentialcommunities, and they found close access to health care was one of residents’ top priorities,” he says. “This message then became a building block of what is today Brunswick Forest.”

Brunswick Forest will eventually include as many as 7,500 homes and up to 25,000 residents. The community has topped the $250 million mark in residential home and homesite sales, and is currently home to more than 525 families.

Helms says residents have been anticipating the new medical facility for some time, anxious for its fall opening.

“Our residents are very excited about the services of NHRMC being available at Brunswick Forest,” he says. “Many say the availability of on-site medical care was a major factor in their decision to move to Brunswick Forest.”

NHRMC’s healthcare presence at The Villages will also bring a continuing series of health-related seminars, screenings and events, says Harlan.

“Our community health and wellness clinicians are already working closely with the Brunswick Wellness Center to bring health information classes, screenings and other programs to help residents with prevention of disease,” she says. “These kinds of events and activities are further evidence of our longterm commitment to provide the very best health and wellness services to the residents of Brunswick Forest and beyond.”

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