Novant Health plans to build a $16.5 million freestanding emergency department in Cornelius, N.C., a suburb of Charlotte.
The health system filed a certificate of need application with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to develop the project, according to a public notice posted Nov. 10.
According to the notice, the proposed project would be completed in January 2028. A public hearing for the project is scheduled for Dec. 18 in Charlotte.
The news comes as Novant has also filed a certificate of need application to build a $346 million hospital in Union County, Novant Health Wesley Chapel Medical Center, with no more than 32 acute care beds. If approved by state regulators, the hospital is expected to be completed in January 2030, according to The Charlotte Observer.
If the freestanding ED in Cornelius is approved, it would be Novant’s first freestanding ED in the Charlotte region, according to Sid Fletcher, MD, senior vice president and president of Novant Health’s greater Charlotte region.
“As the Charlotte region continues to grow, we are working to extend access to remarkable, patient-centered care through our most recent certificate of need applications,” Dr. Fletcher said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “To meet the needs of rapidly growing areas outside Center City, we’re planning new, convenient care locations — including our first hospital in Union County, Novant Health Wesley Chapel Medical Center, and our first freestanding emergency department in the Charlotte region, Novant Health Cornelius Emergency Department. If approved, we look forward to bringing these facilities to life as part of our ongoing commitment to build a healthier future for every community we serve.”
Outside of the Charlotte area, Novant is also planning to build a $251.2 million hospital and freestanding emergency department in Leland, N.C. If approved by state regulators, the 20-bed Novant Health Leland Medical Center would house a 24/7 emergency department, 10 observation beds, five procedure rooms and imaging services.
Novant is currently a 19-hospital system with more than 41,000 employees.
