WILMINGTON, N.C. – Novant Health has applied for state approval to add 225 inpatient hospital beds as part of a new patient tower designed to expand access to high-acuity care in southeastern North Carolina, under the state’s certificate of need process.
“Our plans are years in the making, and we fully believe patients benefit from a comprehensive care experience,” said Laurie Whalin, president of Novant Health’s Coastal Region. “We are the only health system with the ability to deliver seamlessly integrated care because we have the infrastructure, including operating rooms and catheterization labs, which are not available for expansion under the current state plans. Without those vital services, other systems could only offer a fragmented care experience and would be unable to fully deliver on promises of specialty care. Thanks to the strength and expertise of Novant Health’s clinicians, we are the strongest positioned to care for the rapidly growing region.”
Novant Health’s filing supports the previously announced master facility plan for New Hanover Regional Medical Center — an investment of upwards of $1 billion focused on rapidly scaling capacity to meet the region’s surging population growth and rising demand for complex care.
Once approved, the expansion will position Novant Health to bring new hospital beds online expeditiously while ensuring those beds are equipped to care for the most complex, highest-acuity patients in the region.
The new patient tower will centralize inpatient and surgical heart and vascular care, including advanced operating rooms, cardiac catheterization labs, and electrophysiology labs — allowing care teams to manage the full spectrum of cases, from routine procedures to the most critically ill patients, within a single, highly specialized environment.
Dr. Bill Smith, chief physician executive of the Heart & Vascular Institute in the Coastal Region, emphasized the clinical advantage: “By fully integrating advanced cardiac services, we will support interdisciplinary collaboration while enhancing our ability to deliver complex, high-acuity care, improving both outcomes and patient experience. This investment ensures our community will have timely access to the highest level of heart and vascular care close to home for decades to come.”
Demand for cardiovascular services is already significant and growing, and heart disease and stroke both remain leading causes of death in North Carolina. The Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute team sees approximately 18,000 new patients annually in the Coastal Region and performs more than 12,500 surgeries and procedures each year. With the 65+ population increasing, demand for advanced, inpatient care is expected to rise sharply.
While the majority of the expansion is dedicated to heart and vascular expertise, the additional resources will benefit the entire hospital by increasing overall inpatient capacity, improving patient experience and reducing wait times.
This project is part of Novant Health’s regional plan to meet the healthcare needs of growing southeastern North Carolina for years to come. The plans include:
- Novant Health Scotts Hill Medical Center, opening in late June
- A future Wilmington rehabilitation hospital nearly doubled in size to meet growing need
- The future 20-bed Novant Health Leland Medical Center to provide hospital care to growing northern Brunswick County
- A future free-standing emergency department in Carolina Shores
For more information on Vision 2030, these plans and how Novant Health is advancing high-quality, accessible care in the Coastal Region, please visit: NovantHealth.org/CoastalNC.
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