The physicians of Southern Gastroenterology Associates, joined by family members and other supporters, broke ground Tuesday on a new facility where colonoscopies and other medical procedures will be performed.
The 33,670 square foot building is going up at the Houghton Business Park in South Boston. Dr. Bakul Patel and Dr. Suresh Jayatilaka are the principles of the gastroenterological practice, which is located inside the medical building at 1129 North Main Street. That office will remain open for seeing patients; the new facility will be where those patients go to have procedures done.
Drs. Patel and Jayatilaka grabbed shovels for the groundbreaking event, flanked by Brian Burton of J.E. Burton Construction, the general contractor, Ronnie Moore of American National Bank, the project lender, and a host of others. Also turning the first shovels of dirt were family members Dr. Babita Patel, wife of Bakul and an internist and primary care physician, and Julia and Braedyn Jayatilaka, wife and son of Dr. Jayatilaka.
“Dr. Jay,” as he is known by many of his patients, said he and Dr. Patel decided to invest in the new facility because “we truly believe in this county and we want to put growth into it. We want to give back to a county that has been so good to us.”
Observing that Halifax County has lost its share of medical professionals, Jayatilaka added, “It’s much easier to leave, but we’re going to stay. We believe in this place.”
The new facility should be complete by mid to late fall of this year, said Burton. It will include a procedures room, recovery rooms and other space for equipment, patients and providers. The building site is 149 Aubrey’s Loop, across the street from Sentara Halifax Family Medicine.
Procedures performed by Southern Gastroenterology include colonoscopies, endoscopies, and flexible sigmoidoscopies, performed by the board-certified physicians. Drs. Patel and Jayatilaka diagnose and treat conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver, Crohn’s Disease, diverticulosis, gallstones, bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and other disorders.
Other members of the medical staff are Family Nurse Practitioners Whitney Myers and Seth Gupton, and LPNs Cindy Williams and Ashley Comer.
Southern Gastroenterology continues to see patients at the North Main Street office, also the home of Halifax Internal Medicine, led by Dr. Babita Patel with her team of Family Nurse Practitioners. For more about Southern Gastroentelogy, visit the office website at southerngassociates.com or call 434-572-08196.