AdventHealth Announces Site for Weaverville Hospital, Court Appeals Pending

Asheville:

AdventHealth plans to build a 93-bed hospital on 25 acres of land that the nonprofit health care conglomerate recently purchased in Weaverville. But whether AdventHealth will receive the certificate required to open the hospital is still in question. AdventHealth must navigate North Carolina’s Certificate of Need process to open the hospital. Health care providers in the state must apply for CONs if they want to expand their facilities, equipment, or initiate medical services. North Carolina’s certification process can take years. AdventHealth’s two pursuits to bring 67 and 26 beds to Buncombe County are respectively at the gestation and embryonic phases. Long court battles and potential competition from neighboring providers could delay and stymie the nonprofit’s effort.

Certificate of Need Process:

AdventHealth submitted a CON application in June 2022 to open a 67-bed hospital with one C-section operating room and five procedure rooms. The nonprofit received competition from Mission Health and Novant Health, which also submitted applications for the certificate. AdventHealth eventually won the bid. NCDHHS awarded the bid to AdventHealth in November 2022. In its application, the company estimated it would spend $254.1 million on the facility. Mission challenged the state’s decision, and the case is currently being heard in front of Administrative Law Judge Michael Byrne in Waynesville.

Land Purchase and Future Plans:

AdventHealth bought the land for the hospital in Weaverville in February 2024 for $7.5 million. The nonprofit announced its intention to build the 67-bed hospital in that location in a March 19 news release. Additionally, AdventHealth plans to apply for 26 additional acute care beds in Buncombe County identified in the 2024 state medical facilities plan to combine all 93 beds in one facility. AdventHealth spokesperson Victoria Dunkle confirmed that the nonprofit will begin building when the state issues the CON and the company receives it.

Conclusion:

With court appeals pending and the future of the Weaverville hospital still undecided, AdventHealth’s plans face uncertainty. The outcome of the ongoing legal battles will determine whether the nonprofit can realize its vision of expanding healthcare services in Buncombe County. Until then, the community awaits the final verdict that will shape the future of healthcare in Western North Carolina.

For more information on this developing story, stay tuned for updates.