ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Not long after state officials announced the need for an additional 26 acute care hospital beds in the Buncombe County area, several health care entities began making plans.
On Tuesday, Novant Health announced it was joining the health care fray in Western North Carolina. The not-for-profit health care provider wants to build a 26-bed cancer-focused hospital — Novant Health Asheville Medical Center — on a 24-acre site at 455 Long Shoals Road.
Novant first will have to get state approval for the hospital through the Certificate of Need (CON) approval process. AdventHealth is also seeking state approval for a 26-bed expansion at a hospital it plans to build in Weaverville.
In North Carolina, the State Medical Facilities Plan outlines the impact of several factors on the demand for and use of health care resources. Each year, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services releases the State Medical Facilities Plan, which outlines the impact of several factors on the demand for and use of health care resources.
Earlier this year, the SMFP determined Buncombe, Graham, Madison and Yancey counties would need an additional 26 acute care beds by 2026.
Division of Health Service Regulation has from 90 to 150 days to review a Certificate of Need application. Each application is reviewed against the review criteria in the CON Law and any applicable rules adopted by DHSR.
“We’ve said for years that we are committed to Western North Carolina — we are all in,” Novant Health President and CEO Carl S. Armato said in a news release. “We’ve already taken steps to preserve cancer care access in partnership with respected local surgeons, and we look forward to building on that momentum with this proposed hospital.”
Novant has even created a website to keep Western North Carolina residents informed about its plans.
Novant Health opened Novant Health Surgical Partners – Biltmore in November 2023. The facility provides specialty surgical services, including surgical oncology. The proposed hospital will combine the expertise of local physicians with resources from Novant Health Cancer Institute, the news release said.
“Increasing access is a cornerstone of Novant Health’s approach to care, and that starts with forming strong relationships with physicians and other clinicians who know their patients and communities best,” Novant Health’s president of specialty institutes Dr. John Mann said in the news release. “We’ve met with local physicians and listened to what they have to say, and, as a result, we’ve learned a great deal about what Western North Carolina needs. We are looking forward to continuing these conversations and engaging in partnerships to deliver the safe, high-quality care this community deserves.”
Novant Health is also committing $20 million over the next five years to further develop rural primary care. It has acquired space at 1815 Hendersonville Road in Asheville to open a multispecialty medical office building.
Within the past year, the health system has also expanded urgent care services with three Novant Health GoHealth urgent care centers in Black Mountain and Asheville.
“Ultimately, we are making these investments and forging transformative partnerships to provide more support and better access so this vibrant community can thrive,” Dean Swindle, executive vice president, Novant Health, and president of Novant Health Enterprises, said in the release.