Novant Health has applied to build a new community hospital to meet the growing needs of Buncombe County. The Novant Health Asheville Medical Center would have an emergency room, acute care beds, imaging and pharmacy services.
When a health system wants to build a hospital in North Carolina, it must file a certificate of need application (CON) with the state. We spoke with John Mann, MD, president, acute care operations and specialty institutes for Novant Health, about how the CON process works – and how Western North Carolina residents can get involved.
What is certificate of need (CON)?
Some states, including North Carolina, require state approval to build new hospitals, purchase major medical equipment, and for other significant healthcare projects. The intent behind the law is to ensure that community needs are met and that healthcare services are distributed appropriately statewide.
How does the CON process work?
Each year the state considers the medical facilities, services and equipment needs across communities in North Carolina based on a well-defined methodology. Based on that evaluation, the state outlines the new facilities, services and equipment that are needed, and healthcare providers can apply for a CON to meet the needs – anything from adding a PET scanner to building a new hospital.
In our case, Novant Health has applied to open a new community hospital on a 24-acre site in South Asheville. We filed a detailed application, making our case. We were grateful that many members of the Western North Carolina community, including physicians, patients, business leaders and elected officials, sent letters of support for our application to the state.
How can people show support now?
We invite anyone to attend the Dec. 16 public hearing at A-B Tech Community College Ferguson Auditorium and share what having a new hospital choice in Asheville would mean to you. Your voice really matters! Learn more about our plans, or sign up to share your support, by visiting NovantHealth.org/WesternNC.
What else do you want people to know about this proposal?
As a North Carolina-based health system, Novant Health has a long history of supporting Western North Carolina – whether that’s through mobile mammograms, partnering with local physicians, providing shelter and needed care in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, or opening clinics. We would be proud to be Western North Carolina’s newest hospital neighbor, offering the region another choice in advanced care that’s easy to access and affordable.
