Name changed as new owners take over Fannin Regional
Officials of Java Health, Inc., were introduced to the community last Thursday, and they brought with them a new name for Fannin Regional Hospital.
The local health care facility will now be known as Blue Ridge Medical Center as its new owners officially took over July 1.
Bappa Mukherji, chief executive officer of Java Health, told the crowd gathered at Riverstone Medical Campus, “We will never be a good hospital unless we’re providing the best quality of care.”
Mukherji made the comment as he talked about Java Health’s values and plans for the hospital.
He said the group works with struggling hospitals in rural communities while focusing on, “how do we make it work?”
The most vital part in the determination of whether or not to take on a hospital is, “Who are the people we are going to be working with?” That team must be the kind of people who want to see the local hospital succeed.
The next step is to provide “a road map on how we achieve success,” and the team is empowered to make decisions, Mukherji said.
Java Health promotes a “neighbors helping neighbors” approach, Mukherji said.
Java’s CEO said one of the first steps the new owners will take is to relaunch a wellness program. He said the program will not cost participants anything, but will bring Medicaid money to the hospital.
The idea is to keep people healthy to reduce the overall cost of their healthcare.
The hospital also needs the support of its employees and the community. “We need 250 cheerleaders in our town” to help spread our message, Mukherji said.