Greenville, N.C.-based ECU Health received $25 million from the North Carolina General Assembly Oct. 8 to help restore emergency care in Martin County, N.C., through a new rural emergency hospital.
The funds are part of a total $75 million in state investments in ECU Health’s regional system of care model, with $60 million dedicated to the new REH and $15 million to advance planning for the expansion of ECU Health Beaufort Hospital in Washington, N.C., according to a news release shared with Becker’s.
ECU Health is working with state partners to access the funds, which will be made available over time based on certain project milestones. The health system will also navigate both federal and state regulatory requirements during the process.
Martin General Hospital in Williamston, N.C., closed Aug. 3, 2023. In May 2025, ECU Health shared plans to reopen the hospital as the state’s first rural emergency hospital, and in July 2025, the system and Martin County signed a nonbinding letter of intent to partner and restore essential healthcare services in the area.
“In anticipation of this funding, ECU Health and Martin County have been partnering to develop a thoughtful and coordinated approach to re-establishing local access,” the release said. “While today’s check presentation represents an important step in our planning process, the path to resuming local hospital-based services is long and complex.”
