WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– Monday is a crucial day, as its deadline day for two competing healthcare systems to submit proposals to expand hospital capacity and lessen the 225-bed need for New Hanover County.
Despite the heat and humidity, community members turned out Saturday for an open house at Scotts Hill Novant Medical Center, getting a firsthand look at the new facility and the services it will provide to residents in the growing region.
The opening comes as New Hanover County faces increasing healthcare demands driven by rapid population growth. State officials estimate the county will need approximately 225 additional hospital beds in the coming years, setting the stage for a high-profile competition between Novant Health and UNC Health through North Carolina’s Certificate of Need (CON) process.
Novant Health is seeking approval for a $1 billion expansion plan that includes a new Heart and Vascular Institute and additional inpatient capacity at New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
“We believe we can meet the needs of the community and can meet them the quickest,” said Laurie Whalin, president of Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
Whalin said the region’s growing population underscores the need for more hospital capacity.
“New Hanover really needs some inpatient beds, and we fully support that,” she said.
The debate over expansion comes amid heightened scrutiny of local healthcare services. New Hanover Regional Medical Center recently received a “C” grade from Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scores and earned a three-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an improvement from its previous two-star rating. The ratings have fueled public discussion about healthcare quality and the need for additional options in the market.
UNC Health is proposing its own solution to address the region’s healthcare needs. The health system has submitted plans for a new community hospital at South 17th Street and Shipyard Boulevard, along with expanded physician recruitment efforts and additional outpatient facilities.
“We’ve heard from the residents in our community that they want more access to primary care and specialty care,” said Ernie Bovio, president of UNC Health’s Southeast Coastal Region. “They want a choice. They want an alternative without having to drive two hours for that alternative.”
Bovio said the region’s growth has outpaced what a single healthcare system can reasonably support.
“This region is too big for one healthcare system to support it,” he said. “The surrounding seven or eight counties are approaching a million residents, and those million residents need more access and need a choice.”
Local healthcare leaders say the competition could ultimately benefit patients regardless of which proposal is approved.
“We think that Novant can fill that need for more beds now,” said Jeff James, CEO of Wilmington Health. “However, this is a growing community, it’s going to continue to grow over time, and having another choice in the market for the community is going to be a tremendous asset.”
State regulators are expected to review the competing proposals as part of the Certificate of Need process, which will determine how additional hospital capacity is added to meet the region’s future healthcare needs.
