Health Care

In Great Company

When it comes to health care providers, Cary and the greater Triangle finds itself among great company. UNC Hospitals on the Campus of the Unversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke Medical Center in Durham ranks among the outstanding teaching and research hospitals in the country. In fact, Duke was named among America's best hospitals by U.S. News and World Report in 1994. Durham is also home to a Veterans Affair Medical Center, and all three facilities are within a 40-minute drive from Cary. Wake County offers a fine array of well respected facilities: Wake Medical Center, Rex Hospital and Raleigh Community Hospital. The area also boasts two psychiatric hospitals, including the state's Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh, and two drug and alcohol treatment centers.

Western Wake Medical Center

Wake County alone has over 900 doctors, over 250 dentist, and 5,000 beds. Quality health care is also close to home. Western Wake Medical Center opened in Cary in 1991 with 80 inpatient beds. The hospital, one of four satellites of Wake Medical Center in Raleigh, actually started seeing profits in its second year of operation - something that wasn't expected until its third or fourth year. It offers a day surgery center, as well as a 24-hour emergency center, and both have been in heavy demand. As its numbers show, the hospital receives strong support from residents of Western Wake County, including Cary, Apex, and Fuquay-Varina, as well as the 300-plus physicians who have chosen to use the hospital's facilities. The new hospital has also been successful at establishing a solid base of volunteers. Over 300 now donate their time at the hospital, handling everything from clerical tasks to manning the information desk.

A Thriving Medical Community

The success of the hospital, coupled with Cary's astounding growth, has spawned a thriving medical community in Cary. Among the newcomers in recent years are a Duke University Medical subsidiary practice, the Prudential Insurance Company Co. of America and Kaiser Permanente. In each case, the growing need from primary care physicians, as well as a need to serve patients in their own community, prompted the move.

American Red Cross - Triangle Area Chapter

Although the Triangle Area Chapter of the American Red Cross has been around for over 75 years with an office in Raleigh, the Cary branch has only been open since December, 1995. The Cary branch, which is located in Ashley Village, offers blood collections, Health & Safety classes (eg: First Aid and CPR), and has free community Disaster preparedness information.

Cary Area Rescue Squad

The Cary Area Rescue Squad provides residents the best emergency care available. It was the first of three volunteer squads in Wake County to offer paramedic service on all first-duty calls. It employs a paid daytime staff and administrator, and the emergency service is augmented through a corps of 35 volunteers. The squad offers a subscription service of about $50 per year. In all, the outstanding health care available is but one more reason why Cary - and the greater Research Triangle region - consistently rank among the best places to live in the country.