ROCKY MOUNT — Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital celebrated the opening of a new pediatric medicine clinic Thursday that will expand available care for children in Franklin County.
Invited members of the community and Carilion staff were given an early look at newly renovated section of the hospital, which will officially open to pediatric patients Monday. A 3,632-square-foot section of the hospital office building’s third floor was converted into the new space.
“We are here to celebrate the opening of our Carilion children’s clinic which is yet another resource in our continued increase access to care here in our region. It is also yet another way that we are meeting our community’s needs,†said Carl Cline, president of Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital.

Amy Kageals, senior director at Carilion Children’s Hospital, provides tours of the new pediatric clinic at Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital on Thursday including the kid-friendly waiting rooms.
The new clinic features eight exam rooms, including two for specialty clinics plus a procedure room, separate healthy and sick patient waiting areas. In addition to general pediatric care, pediatric specialties will also rotate through the practice in the coming months.
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“We are excited to officially open the general pediatric clinic, which we’ve relocated from 490 South Main Street,†said Andrew Herman, chair of pediatrics for Carilion Clinic.
The new pediatric clinic is much larger than the previous location. Herman said the clinic will also be able to provide specialty services such as pediatric cardiology, pediatric neurology, pediatric endocrinology, pediatric gastroenterology and pediatric pulmonary services.
“This new and improved space allows us to provide an enhanced level of care for our youngest patients in Franklin County and the surrounding communities,†Herman said.
The new space will allow for more personal interactions between patients and staff, Herman said, along with shorter waiting times. The clinic will be able to handle wellness checkups and appointments for sickness as well as minor trauma such as small lacerations, strains, possible broken bones and minor burns, he added.

Carilion Clinic staff cut the ribbon on the new pediatric clinic at Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital in Rocky Mount on Thursday.
Thursday’s ribbon cutting comes just days after Carilion Clinic announced plans to construct a new freestanding emergency department in the Westlake area of Franklin County. Cline said the decision to expand available services at Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital and at Westlake is partially due to a growing population in the county and a growing need for services.
“We are really looking forward to the growth and the access that we are going to be providing,†Cline said about the expanded services that will be offered with the new pediatric clinic and emergency department.
While services at the pediatric clinic are set to begin Monday, Cline said it could be some time before the Westlake emergency department is up and running. Plans are to begin construction on the new facility by the end of the year with a completion date sometime in 2027, he said.