This year promises to be a banner year at Chicora Medical Center as the facility celebrates its 40th anniversary on Aug. 25-27. Plans for the celebration on Aug. 26 include live music, a car cruise, carnival style food, several entertainers and fireworks by Zambelli International.

There are many things to celebrate this year in addition to the facility's anniversary. The Chicora Medical Center Professional Building, a newly constructed medical complex offers doctor visits, laboratory tests, mammograms and therapy services, recently opened on the Chicora Medical Center Campus. The professional building was a collaboration of Butler Memorial Hospital and Butler Medical Associates.

In addition to the professional building, a new pharmacy building is also set to open this year. The more than 6,000-square-feet building will be the new home to Quality Pharmacy, and will be open to the public this May for all prescription drug needs. Quality Pharmacy will also carry snacks, toiletries, personal hygiene items, over-the-counter medications, gifts and holiday knickknacks.

Quality Pharmacy, which is owned by Quality Life Services, will also be in charge of distributing medications to all of the Quality Life Services Nursing and Personal Care Homes in Western Pennsylvania.

The Quality Pharmacy and the Professional Building are both only a short walk from Chicora Medical Center, which has seen tremendous growth over the past year. Many times during the year, units within Chicora Medical Center have had to post a waiting list due to overwhelming demand. One such unit is Memory Lane, which opened last January.

Such growth was achieved with success and with no disturbance to residents by improvements to the already unique interior of the facility and through continued intensive training for staff members.

This year promises to be an exciting time for Chicora Medical Center as staff and administrators look forward to greeting the public at the facility's events and functions.