GREENSBORO, N.C. — There's a renewed push to make sure everyone has access to healthcare.
Cone Health bought property in East Greensboro, hoping to shrink the health gap among different pockets of the city.
WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman met people who stand to benefit.
Over $10 million dollars has already been poured into these plans, in order to create a Cone Health facility in this shopping center, The Shoppes at Pyramids Village.
The shopping center is located in East Greensboro, an area that Cone Health leaders said is traditionally undeserved.
Between Walmart and Advance Auto Parts off East Cone Boulevard, will eventually sit a Cone Health and Wellness Complex.
Elenor Dean, an East Greensboro Mother with four kids said this is fantastic news, "it definitely helps only needing to drive five minutes instead of having to go 15 minutes away."
She said any mother living in the area would agree, "like, getting these kids together… it takes forever, it takes so long to get these kids together. What normally takes one person 5 minutes, takes these kids 30 minutes," Dean said.
This is all apart of Cone Health's effort to increase access to health care in undeserved communities such as East Greensboro.
Physician Assistant with High Point University, Karen Timbrook-Dillow said that a long life and access to health care go hand in hand, "what we do know is when you don't have access to health care, life expectancy declines."
Last year, Cone Health stated the importance of increasing a persons life expectancy. Cone Health's Senior Vice President of Ambulatory and Consumer Services, Deno Adkins said putting a health facility in The Shoppes at Pyramids Village helps make that possible.
"It's really important also to be located where people are already going, for example, where they're going for shopping already, so making that a one stop shop literally for our community members," Adkins said.
Cone Health is also looking to make this health and wellness complex multipurpose meaning people can receive care for different health concerns.
Something Dean appreciates, "we had to go all the way out to Winston just for [my son's] head to get examined and I was just like, this is crazy!"
She said once the building is up, it will definitely turn heads in East Greensboro.
Cone Health wants your input on what would best serve you in this area. Toward the end of the summer, the hospital system will be holding information sessions where people can voice their opinions.