Hospital makes its move

Heritage Medical Center completed its scheduled move Saturday without any problems, said Pam Fisher, public relations and marketing director, in a Saturday afternoon telephone interview.

The patient move process was begun at 7:02 a.m. and the last patient was received at 11:26 a.m., she said.

Critical Care Unit patients were the first to be moved, followed by medical/surgical patients. The first patient was received at the new hospital location at 7:26 a.m. and was in the room at 7:29 for post-move assessment, according to a release from the medical center.

Roy Sims, of Shelbyville, was the first patient to be admitted.

"It is so much nicer than the old place," said Sims, describing his new patient care room. "They (nurses) are very good to me here."

The first emergency room patient, Eler Gilley, was triaged at 7:02 a.m.

"Dr. (Christopher) Rone is very nice. I was so pleased with his service," said Gilley, a Unionville resident. "Everything is so nice here and the location is very convenient. I was just looking for some relief this morning, but didn't think about being the first patient."

The professionalism of the move team and the personalized attention to detail given to each patient's safety and healthcare needs was the obvious focus of the day, according to the release.

The hospital praised the medical staff, hospital staff, Emergency Medical Services, the Shelbyville Police Department and Tennessee Highway Patrol for their efforts, which made the move "a safe and orderly event for patients, families and the community as a whole."

"I am extremely proud to be associated with this staff and this community," said Heritage CEO Dan Buckner. "The move went beautifully without a single glitch, proving that we are ready to be impressive."