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LewisGale Regional Health System Celebrates New Senior Transitions Unit with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

September 09, 2011

Low Moor, Virginia, September 9, 2011 – LewisGale Regional Health System celebrated the completion of its new Senior Transitions Unit at LewisGale Hospital Alleghany with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 15-bed inpatient specialty unit, located on the fifth floor of the hospital, is designed to meet the behavioral health needs of seniors throughout LewisGale Regional Health System’s service area.

“We strategically chose Alleghany as the site for our new program because of its rapidly growing senior population,” said Victor E. Giovanetti, President, LewisGale Regional Health System. “This specialized unit will focus on meeting the needs of some of our most vulnerable citizens and ensure they have the best health outcomes.”

Giovanetti anticipates patients will come from all over the region to receive this specialized care because the unit is a first-of-its-kind for Southwest Virginia.

“There is currently a shortage of resources in the area to the serve the senior population,” said Bruce Melosh, MA, MSPH, Senior Transitions Director. “Opening this program will help to fill the gap and serve as a regional center for the treatment of seniors with behavioral or emotional issues.”

The Senior Transitions program will primarily serve patients 65 and older with emotional and behavioral health issues such as memory problems, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and psychotic disorders. Patients as young as 55 years old may qualify for admission if they suffer with chronic mental health issues or disability.

“Seniors have unique behavioral health challenges that are often coupled with other medical conditions,” said Pradip Koirala, M.D., Senior Transitions Medical Director. “My goal is to get them stabilized and home or to their original care setting.”

“We are excited to bring this new service to Alleghany to meet an important community need while at the same time benefitting our local economy through the creation of new jobs,” said Greg Madsen, CEO, LewisGale Hospital Alleghany.

The unit is scheduled to officially open September 14. For more information about the program, contact Bruce Melosh at (540) 862-6883.

LewisGale Regional Health System includes 38 HCA-owned patient care facilities including 4 hospitals, 2 regional cancer centers, 6 outpatient centers and affiliations with nearly 700 physicians, including 135 employed providers and 550 independent physicians. With more than 3,300 employees, its annual payroll is $219.5 million. The system also paid $28.4 million in taxes and provided more than than $73.5 million in uncompensated care to those most in need in 2009 alone. LewisGale is also part of HCA Virginia, the largest and most comprehensive healthcare provider in the Commonwealth with more than 13,000 employees.