Judge OKs new Western NC hospital with ER north of Asheville

Judge OKs new Western NC hospital with ER north of Asheville

A judge has paved the way for a new hospital with at least 67 beds in northern Buncombe County. The judge in the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings upheld a state decision to give AdventHealth the right to build the hospital it hopes to grow to 93 beds. The Florida-based nonprofit currently runs a 103-bed hospital, AdventHealth Hendersonville, in northern Henderson County.

Positive Impact on Health Care in Western North Carolina

“AdventHealth joins with the people of Western North Carolina to celebrate this decision and the positive impact this new hospital will have on the area’s health care. We are excited to reach this point in the work to provide whole-person care to the people of Buncombe, Graham, Madison, and Yancey Counties.”

Facilities and Services

The hospital is to be located on 30 acres just northwest of Weaverville and feature “leading-edge technology,” surgery services, a labor and delivery unit, and an emergency department. AdventHealth would select an architect and general contractor “over the next few weeks.”

Construction Timeline and Cost

AdventHealth spokesperson Victoria Dunkle said once construction started, the hospital would be completed in 18 to 24 months, but declined to go into greater detail on a timeline or to estimate cost.

Certificates of Need Process

To add certain health care facilities and services, North Carolina and other states require Certificates of Need. The state had awarded AdventHealth a CON for the 67-bed facility, but Mission Health, owned by the Tennessee for-profit HCA, appealed the decision to the Administrative Office of the courts.

Mission Health’s Response

Mission Health, the largest health provider in the area with its 850-bed flagship Asheville hospital, has the right to appeal the May 10 decision. Mission spokesperson Nancy Lindell declined May 13 to comment as to whether the company would appeal.

Future Growth and Competition

AdventHealth hopes to grow the hospital to 93 beds by winning a CON for another 26 beds. Competing for that is also the Winston-Salem based nonprofit Novant that wants to build a cancer-focused medical center just southwest of Asheville near Biltmore Park.

Response from NC Attorney General

State Attorney General Josh Stein praised the ruling, stating that it will increase health care competition in western North Carolina, potentially leading to better care and lower prices.

Conclusion

The advances by Novant and AdventHealth in WNC’s health care market come as Mission faces problems, including federal sanctions following four patient deaths and a lawsuit by NC Attorney General Josh Stein alleging failure to maintain levels of emergency and cancer care promised by HCA before its 2019 purchase of the nonprofit Mission.