History Blue Ridge Regional Hospital is located in Spruce Pine. The hospital opened its doors in 1955. The Critical Access Hospital features 25 patient beds. It was the strong commitment of the community that made building a Critical Access Hospital in Spruce Pine possible. The cost for the facility was projected to be around $400,000. Citizens of Spruce Pine and surrounding communities quickly responded and raised $140,000. In fact, the campaign kickoff resulted in $33,000 being raised in a single day. Several employers reported 100 percent participation in the program. Those who couldn’t give money gave blood in the “Save a Life and Build a Hospital” effort. Employers contributed to the building fund when their employees donated blood to the blood bank. On a day set aside for the donations, 227 people gave blood, raising $1,135 toward the hospital campaign. Children even got involved with the fundraising efforts and formed a corporation that wove potholders and sold them, two for 25 cents, to benefit the hospital building fund. In all, more than 2,500 people made contributions totaling near $100,000, and by the end of September 1953, the North Carolina Medical Care Commission approved a hospital for Mitchell County. The first patient, a child who was to have a tonsillectomy, was admitted in December 1955. She arrived clutching her doll. Also located on the Blue Ridge Regional Hospital property is the Mauzy-Phillips Center, a two-story, 30,000-square-foot medical office building that includes primary care physician services, general surgery, endoscopy, wound care, orthopedics, laboratory services, X-ray, an in-house pharmacy and endoscopy suites. Blue Ridge Regional Hospital offers a variety of medical services including emergency services, pre-natal and post-natal care, obstetrics and gynecology, critical care, rehabilitation services, fitness center, cancer services, orthopedics, general surgical services, pain management, pediatrics, family medicine, acute care inpatient observation, swing bed services, outpatient infusion and chemotherapy, surgery, cardiology, wound care, testing, mammography, CT scans, MRI and nuclear studies. Blue Ridge Regional Hospital serves Mitchell, Yancey, lower Avery and upper McDowell counties. Click here to see a list of recent awards for Blue Ridge Regional Hospital.