Premier Medical Plaza has opened on Premier Drive near the intersection with Wendover Avenue
November 25, 2009
by Carol Brooks
XXThe new Premier Medical Plaza off Wendover Avenue has a few things you would not expect from doctors' offices. Start with the plantings in the building - they're dead. XX“(The designer) tried to incorporate natural designs into the building,” said Dr. Grace Terrell, president and CEO of Cornerstone Health Care, as she described the planters holding low-maintenance dead twigs and branches. “We wanted it to pop.” XXThen there's the furniture. In addition to normal seating, there are curving leather sofas, wider seats for those needing more space, and circular seats resembling sombreros for children. XX“We tried to give a directive to Barbour Spangle Design of High Point to use local products, said Dr. John Walker, chair of Premier Medical Properties. XX“The concept was to integrate practices,” said Terrell as she led media on a tour of the facilities. Traditionally, each doctor had a separate office and receptionist. Here, there is a central reception area where staff will help patients and direct them to a shared waiting area - for all ages. There's a separate “sick” waiting room for children exhibiting illness. WiFi and ports for laptops are also available. XXWith all calls to Premier Medical Plaza coming into a joint phone room, receptionists can give their full attention to patients and not be distracted by the phone ringing. XX“We're trying to get staff to think as a whole, not as a separate practice,” said Terrell. XXCornerstone Pediatrics features child-size seats as well as adult-sized. Murals, many hand-painted by referral specialist Jennifer Bullard, liven up the examination rooms. XXThe $30 million, 128,500 square foot building opened Nov. 16 and will house 16 physician practices covering 14 separate specialties. Cornerstone Pediatrics, Deep River Family Medicine, Piedmont Centre Family and Sports Medicine and Cornerstone Urgent Care are just a few of the practices in the building. Other services include laboratory services, a sleep lab, ambulatory surgery center and full-service imaging center. More practices will open next year. XXThe building is a joint venture between High Pont Regional Health System and CHC Realty, LLC. XX“Since we opened the Westchester office, our practice has been growing by leaps and bounds,” said Terrell. XX“We want this to be a destination facility not only for High Point, but also Greensboro and Kernersville,” said Darrell Deaton, vice president of planning and information for High Point Regional. “It will be as easy as going to the mall and buying a purse.”
