North Carolina regulators have conditionally approved Charlotte-based Atrium Health’s request to increase its bed count, denying a bid from Winston-Salem-based Novant Health in a March 12 decision that Novant has appealed.
Three notes:
1. In the fall, Atrium requested 89 additional acute-care beds for about $120 million in a certificate-of-need request for Carolinas Medical Center, its primary hospital in Charlotte.
Ten beds will be allocated to Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, and 79 beds will be for its $892 million tower under construction at Carolinas Medical Center. Atrium looks forward to progressing on the project, according to a statement shared with Becker’s.
“With an estimated 117 new people moving to the Charlotte region every day, our hospitals in this area frequently operate at or near full capacity. This is a reflection of both the increased demand for high-quality care, as well as the deep trust communities place in us.”
2. The 2024 N.C. State Medical Facilities Plan projected a need for 89 additional acute-care beds in Mecklenburg County. In evaluating both applications, regulators determined Carolinas Medical Center was the more effective alternative based on its scope of services and historical utilization, while Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center was considered to be more effective for expanding competition by offering access to an alternate provider.
3. Novant requested 80 acute care beds for about $103 million as part of a bed tower expansion expected to open in early 2030. Following the denial, a Novant spokesperson told Becker’s the system submitted an appeal April 11.
“Our plans for expansion at Presbyterian Medical Center are not limited to this application,” Novant said in a statement. “Part of our master facility plan includes a new patient tower, anticipated to open in about five years, that will allow us to expand our current emergency room, grow our surgical capabilities, and enhance patient flow and access points by relocating the current pediatric emergency department.”
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