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BLADENBORO — The second-largest town in Bladen County is working to improve the available medical options. Cape Fear Valley Bladen Medical Associates is improving its Bladenboro Clinic.
 
The clinic is run by Cape Fear Valley Bladen Healthcare and has been offering services for several years. Most residents are happy with the services offered. However, sometimes local resident Billie Cain has to travel to other facilities for specific medical needs because the clinic does not offer the specialty.

"Chest X-rays, ultrasounds, many different things," said Cain.

Clinic administrators said that is going to change. Officials want to offer the people in Bladenboro convenient access to more health care options. Therefore, the Clinic is moving to larger space in a vacant building down the street.

The move is being paid for by the town, the county's economic development commission and two grants. The building is more than twice the size of the current facility and the company plans to offer more services.
 
"With the transportation disadvantages that some of the people have here, it's great to be able to walk here if you need to, catch a ride, instead of having to go 15 miles out of the way to get a simple X-ray," said Daniel Weatherly with Cape Fear Valley Healthcare.
 
Bladenboro Town Manager Delane Jackson said providing more medical services creates economic development opportunities. Jackson said statistics show that in 2010, 76 percent of doctor appointments made by Bladenboro residents were outside the town.

Another 2,000 visits were for OB/GYN services. However soon patients will be able to stay in Bladenboro.

"When those folks come to their doctor's appointment we hope that they'll fill up their car with gas, get their oil changed, buy a hamburger from our local merchants so its a turnover of dollars in the community," said Jackson.

The entire project is expected to cost $1 million. The county's economic development commission bought the facility for about $600,000 and is leasing it to the company. More than $350,000 is coming from grants.
 
Officials said they expect to open the new facility in May.