CVHS expands access to care across the region
As Catawba County and the surrounding region continue to grow, Catawba Valley Health System (CVHS) is expanding access to care in ways that matter to local employers, employees and families.
Recent growth includes the addition of urgent care locations, new primary care practices, expanded specialty services and a new community pharmacy — all designed to make care more convenient, connected and accessible. For more information about the health system’s expansion, click here.
A key milestone came in spring 2026, when CVHS brought all Urgent Care of Mountain locations into the health system. Now operating as Catawba Valley Urgent Care of Mountain, these sites offer employees and community members more local options for same-day care in Sherrills Ford, Newton, Morganton, Mountain View and soon Taylorsville.
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CVHS leaders say the move strengthens care coordination by connecting urgent care patients to a broader network that includes advanced imaging, hospital services, specialists and primary care.
Primary care access is growing, too. CVHS recently launched Catawba Valley Primary Care – Lenoir and added DeSantis Family Practice of Catawba Valley in Hickory. These additions help support preventive care, chronic condition management and long-term care relationships for patients across the region.
To meet rising demand, CVHS is also expanding specialty care in areas such as cardiology, vascular services, gastroenterology, pulmonary and sleep medicine, general surgery, cancer care and neurology. Since 2023, the system has added 122 physicians and APPs, with recruitment continuing.
CVHS now includes 30 primary and specialty care practices across Catawba, Alexander and Caldwell counties.
The system has also opened Catawba Valley Community Pharmacy on Tate Boulevard in Hickory. Open to both CVHS employees and the public, the pharmacy offers extended hours, personalized service, drive-thru pickup and coordinated medication support.
Looking ahead, CVHS is continuing to plan for future development in key areas across Catawba County, including Sherrills Ford and the Tate Boulevard corridor.
For employers, these investments represent more than growth — they reflect a stronger local care network that can help employees access the right care more quickly and conveniently.
For more information about how these expansion efforts can help you take care of your employees, contact Marcus Osborne, director of wellness services, at [email protected].
Why primary care is the foundation of a healthy workforce
As CVHS expands access across the region, primary care is leading the way — and it’s one of the most cost-effective tools employers have for a healthier, more productive workforce.
Every dollar an employer invests in employee health starts somewhere — and increasingly, the evidence points to the same place: a strong relationship with a primary care provider. Employees with a consistent primary care home are more likely to catch health issues early, manage chronic conditions before they escalate and stay engaged and productive at work. Employees without one are more likely to rely on costlier, less coordinated care — the emergency room for issues that could have been managed weeks earlier, or no care at all until a small problem becomes a serious one.
For HR professionals and industrial safety managers, that difference shows up directly in absenteeism, health care spend and workforce reliability. Primary care is where preventive screenings happen, where chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension get managed before they cause a health crisis, and where an employee’s overall health picture gets tracked over time by someone who knows their history.
Growing access, right when it’s needed
As detailed in this issue’s access to care update, CVHS is expanding primary care capacity across the region in direct response to that need. Two new practices — Catawba Valley Primary Care – Lenoir and DeSantis Family Practice of Catawba Valley in Hickory — give employees in Caldwell and Catawba counties more local options to establish an ongoing relationship with a primary care provider, rather than going without one or defaulting to urgent care for needs that are better served by a consistent provider.
This growth is part of a broader build-out: CVHS has added 122 physicians and advanced practice providers since 2023, and now operates 30 primary and specialty care practices across Catawba, Alexander and Caldwell counties. Recruitment is continuing, with primary care remaining a priority alongside specialty growth in areas like cardiology, gastroenterology and pulmonary medicine.
The system’s newly expanded urgent care network and community pharmacy also reinforce primary care rather than compete with it. When Catawba Valley Urgent Care of Mountain sites or Catawba Valley Community Pharmacy see a patient, that connects back to the same coordinated network of specialists, imaging and hospital services — meaning an employee’s care stays connected instead of scattered across unrelated providers.
What this means for employers
- More local primary care options make it easier for employees to establish care close to home or work, reducing barriers like travel time and appointment availability.
- A connected network means a primary care visit can lead directly to the right specialist, imaging or pharmacy support, without gaps in communication.
- Employees with an established primary care provider tend to manage chronic conditions more consistently, which can mean fewer flare-ups, less unplanned time off and lower long-term health care costs.
- Continued recruitment and practice growth signal that access will keep improving, which matters for long-term workforce planning.
As CVHS continues to grow, encouraging employees to establish a primary care relationship — and helping them know where to find one close to home — is one of the simplest ways employers can support a healthier, more resilient workforce.
For more information about how these expansion efforts can help you support your employees, contact Marcus Osborne, director of wellness services, at [email protected].
Meet the newest member of our occupational health team
Catawba Valley Medical Center’s Occupational Health team is growing, and our partner employers now have a new resource on their side: Suzanne Loftin, FNP-C.
Suzanne’s path to Occupational Health runs through more than two decades at the bedside. She joined CVMC in 2001 and spent the bulk of her nursing career in the critical care unit, an environment that demands fast, accurate clinical judgment and clear communication under pressure — skills that translate directly to evaluating and managing workplace injuries and illnesses. For safety teams, that means an Occupational Health provider who is already comfortable with acuity, urgency and the kind of decisive care that keeps a workplace injury from becoming a bigger disruption to your workforce.
Suzanne went on to earn a Master of Education from East Carolina University in 2017 and her family nurse practitioner degree from Carson-Newman University in 2021. Since then, she has practiced in palliative medicine, further building on her ability to communicate complex medical information clearly and compassionately.
A provider who prioritizes education and return-to-work readiness
What sets Suzanne apart is her emphasis on patient education. She believes employees recover best, and make the safest decisions about their care, when they truly understand their diagnosis and treatment options. For employers, that philosophy supports smoother case management: employees who understand their injury and treatment plan tend to be more engaged partners in a safe, timely return to work.
“I’m excited to join the Occupational Health team, where I can continue to provide patient-centered care with a focus on education to improve each patient’s health,” Suzanne says.
Outside of work, Suzanne enjoys spending time with family and friends, shopping, being outdoors, watching college softball and traveling to the beach.
- More than 25 years of clinical experience, with deep roots in critical care, supports confident evaluation of workplace injuries.
- A patient-education focus that helps employees understand their treatment and stay engaged in a safe return to work.
- Advanced training as an FNP-C, adding depth to the Occupational Health team available to your workforce.
