PIKEVILLE – The opening of the Regional Flu Center by Pikeville Medical Center and its Family Practice Clinic is the first of its kind in Kentucky.

Hospital officials converted the former Free Screening Center into the Regional Flu Center in five days, adding six patient rooms, a diagnostics area and x-ray examination room. The decision to open the center came on the heels of President Barack Obama’s Emergency Declaration due to the rapid rise of flu cases across the nation.

“We felt it was necessary to open the Regional Flu Center to help segregate the population of those affected by flu-like symptoms from the general population in the hospital,” said Jerry Johnson, chief operating officer at Pikeville Medical Center. “The Regional Flu Center allows us to better maintain the flow of patients experiencing symptoms and helps streamline their care through a center dedicated solely to their needs.”

Within the first 36 hours of its opening on Nov. 2, the Regional Flu Center treated more than 200 patients.

The Regional Flu Center, located on North Mayo Trail, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is fully staffed by physicians, nurses and other health care professionals.

Misty Ling, who brought her 9-year-old daughter Autumn to the center on Tuesday, said the convenience of coming to one place for diagnosis and testing made her decision easy.

“It’s wonderful to come to one location for everything, especially when you have a child,” Ling explained. “If I had to take my daughter to a different place for each test, it would increase the amount of time before she receives her treatment.”

The Regional Flu Center offers complete testing, lab and x-ray services. Additionally, patients, who have orders from family physicians for testing, lab or x-ray services, can utilize the center for all of their testing needs.