Resources

from Experience Haywood 2021

Membership Directory

Being in good hands

Haywood County has health care covered

Haywood County citizens have plenty of options when it comes to health care.

Haywood Regional Medical Center is a Duke LifePoint Hospital with 169 beds whose services include seven operating rooms, advanced home care, behavioral health, critical care, diabetes education, hospice and palliative care, occupational health, orthopedics, pulmonary rehabilitation, sleep disorders, spine care services and women’s care center.

The hospital has 930 employees and 150 physicians.

Also, Mission Health System has a medical office building in Haywood County that offers primary care, specialty care, imaging and laboratory services.

It also offers tele-medicine that Mission says could save patients a trip to Asheville for even complex care. The 30,000 square-foot building is on 23 acres on Hospital Drive, adjacent to the company's existing outpatient center.

Health Care Facilities

■ Urgent Care — Canton

Exit 31 off I-40, Canton 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 7 Days a week 828.648.0282

■ Urgent Care — West 556 Hazelwood Avenue, Waynesville 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 7 Days a week 828.452.8890

■ Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center — 54,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility with indoor track, gymnasium, weight machines and equipment, steam and sauna.

Day passes available. 828.452.8080

■ Mercy Urgent Care 124 Frazier St., Suite 6, Waynesville in the Publix Plaza 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 828.210.2121 www.mercyurgentcare.org

Learning from the best

“Success for today, preparation for tomorrow and learning for a lifetime” is the mission statement for and sums up the vision of Haywood County Schools. With schools far smaller than the state average, the system is able to offer its 7,200 students a great deal of personal attention.

In terms of student performance, Haywood traditionally ranks in the top 10 to 20 percent of all the districts in North Carolina on test score performance.

Haywood County has 15 public schools and one public charter school.

Public schools ■ Bethel Elementary ■ Bethel Middle School ■ Canton Middle School ■ Central Haywood High ■ Clyde Elementary ■ Haywood Early College ■ Hazelwood Elementary ■ Jonathan Valley Elementary ■ Junaluska Elementary ■ Meadowbrook Elementary ■ North Canton Elementary ■ Pisgah High School ■ Riverbend Elementary ■ Tuscola High School ■ Waynesville Middle School Charter schools ■ Shining Rock Classical Academy

The universities and community colleges serving Haywood County and all of Western North Carolina are as good as they get, attracting a plethora of local and out-of-state students and distinguished professors and faculty members. Those students and faculty add to the diverse, vibrant culture of the region, while the colleges also provide a source of highly skilled employees.

■ Haywood Community College offers more than 30 programs. About 2,220 students took courses during the most recent academic year. Departments include arts, sciences and natural resources, business and industry, and health and human services. HCC also offers a unique production crafts program that draws aspiring artists from throughout the country and is also well known for its forestry and wildlife biology departments. HCC also recently decided to offer free tuition to all qualifying graduates of Haywood County’s public schools. HCC also offers online learning and continuing education opportunities. www.haywood.edu.

■ Southwestern Community College provides coursework in arts, sciences, college transfer, career technologies and health services. Over 3.300 students enter more than 60 academic programs, while approximately 6,000 annually participate in the school’s ongoing continuation programs. www.southwesterncc.edu.

■ Western Carolina University, part of the University of North Carolina System, serves more than 11,600 students, including 10,000 undergraduates and 1,600 enrolled in graduate programs. Offering more than 115 undergraduate majors and concentrations, WCU features a nationally recognized teacher education program, a criminal justice program used as a model across the state, and the nation’s first accredited four-year emergency medical care program. Graduate students can choose from 60 areas of study offered at the main Cullowhee campus or at Biltmore Park in Asheville. www.wcu.edu.

■ UNC Asheville, part of the University of North Carolina System, is the only dedicated liberal arts institution in the 17-institution University of North Carolina System. Perennially selected as one of the best colleges in the country for the price, the university focuses on critical thinking by taking students outside of their chosen fields of study. With over 30 different majors, the D-1 campus employs 214 full-time faculty members, which provides its 3,600 undergraduate students with an average class size of 19. www.unca.edu.

■ Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College has an enrollment of more than 11,000 students. Established as a trade school, it has 39 career programs and classes that are transferable to any university in the UNC system. www.abtech.edu..

Providing Quality & Efficient Construction Since 1988

Contractors · Construction Managers · Design/Build Serving Western North Carolina, Upstate South Carolina and Eastern Tennessee

179 INDUSTRIAL PARK DRIVE • WAYNESVILLE 828-452-4500 • www.clarkandleatherwood.com

J.M Teague Engineering was a Chamber Business of the Month.

Learning and Networking Through Ongoing Events

Over the years, the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce has initiated and sustained many gatherings, events and educational summits to benefit our members. Some have been created with the goal of networking while others were developed to enhance education and leadership. Below we include the date of inception and description of several popular ongoing events.

BUSINESS OF THE MONTH

Each month, the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce recognizes the accomplishments, hard work and leadership of local businesses. The Business and Economic Development Committee reviews nominations on an annual, monthly or quarterly basis. Winners are chosen by members of the committee and recognized in the Chamber e-newsletter, the membership directory, Chamber social media and the Smoky Mountain News. The plaque is presented each month at Issues & Eggs.

ISSUES & EGGS

2005: This longstanding event is held the first Wednesday of each month. Members are invited to enjoy breakfast while learning and networking. Each event hosts a guest speaker featuring a broad spectrum of topics and issues related to Haywood County. Speakers range from the CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center to indi-

viduals from the NC Department of Commerce to political candidates. During these monthly gatherings, Businesses of the Month are awarded and upcoming events are announced.

WOMEN ENLIGHTENED

2014: Originally known as ‘Women in Business’, this subsidiary Chamber group changed their moniker several years ago to ‘Women Enlightened…Get Connected’, which truly represents the varied skills, creativity and experiences of the individuals in this network. Women Enlightened hosts periodic gatherings to educate, motivate and connect. The new platform offers a wider focus on guest speakers with a deeper concentration on their topic, brand and story. In terms of guest speakers, the goal is to encourage relevance and inspiration over title and resume.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OF HAYWOOD COUNTY

2014: An affiliate organization of the Chamber of Commerce, Young Professionals of Haywood (YPH) engages young professionals through the core values of professional development, networking and community service to make Haywood County a better place to live, work and play. Young professionals between the ages of 22 and 40 (and the young at heart) are invited to join this group by participating in monthly networking, community service and professional development. YPH events have led to personal and professional relationships that last a lifetime.

CHAMBERCONNECTS

2019: These networks are non-competitive business groups committed to helping each other cultivate their businesses. Each ChamberConnects group will be limited to no more than 25 Chamber members and there must be a minimum of five members to start a new group. The goal is to have members who represent individual industries with no overlap in each ChamberConnects group. That way, business professionals can maximize their exposure and assist one another in referrals. ChamberConnects groups are independently managed by chairs who serve in a moderator position, drafting regular agendas and opening/closing respective meetings. We offer quality, affordable rental homes and apartments throughout Haywood County. Check out our selection of homes, apartments, and townhomes at Haywoodrentalsnc.com and on Facebook. Or visit us in person at 58 Pigeon St. in downtown Waynesville.