A ribbon cutting will be held Tuesday from 10 a.m.-noon at Centra Southside Community Hospital to introduce the hospital’s new pulmonary center.

Regarding the center’s opening, Centra Southside CEO Tom Angelo said there was “currently not a pulmonologist in this region, and there is a great need.”

“Opening the clinic will provide care close to home and will work to improve quality and safety around pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease readmissions, as well as ultimately to help people get better,” Angelo said.

According to a press release, the center’s pulmonologist, Dr. Sunil Rajan, graduated from the Kasturba Medical College/Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India with a bachelor of medicine and a bachelor of surgery degree.

“He completed his fellowship in pulmonary/critical care at University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts,” officials said in the release. “His residency was completed at Maryland General Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.”

The release cited he recently served as the chief of staff and medical director of critical care and respiratory therapy at Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center and served as a full partner at Pulmonology Associates of Richmond, Inc.

“(Rajan) was selected as ‘Richmond Top Doc’ 2015 for Pulmonology; 2016 for Intensivist, Critical Care; and 2017 for pulmonology and intensivist,” officials said in the release. “He was awarded the Will Rogers Research Fellowship Recipient by the Will Rogers Institute.”

“We are fortunate that Dr. Rajan is joining our talented medical staff,” Angelo said. “His accomplishments are very impressive, and he will provide excellent outcomes for the health of our community.”

The release cited that to make an appointment with Dr. Rajan, call (434) 315-2880. The practice opens Aug. 1, but his office is now taking appointments.