AdventHealth plans Buncombe County hospital bed expansion – GWC Mag

AdventHealth has confirmed plans to submit a certificate of need (CON) application to add 26 acute care beds to its upcoming community hospital in north Buncombe County, North Carolina, US.  

This move aims to expand access to emergency, surgery, labour and delivery, and support services for residents in the surrounding communities. 

The proposal aligns with the state’s annual State Medical Facilities Plan (SMFP), which identified a need for 26 additional acute care beds in Buncombe, Graham, Madison, and Yancey Counties by 2026.  

This SMFP serves as a key planning tool for healthcare development, assessing the demand for healthcare resources in specific regions. 

The deadline for the CON application submission is set for 17 June 2024.  

The organisation received the state’s approval for building a hospital in north Buncombe County in 2022. The new beds are expected to enhance the upcoming facility’s capacity to offer whole-person care.  

The hospital will feature various services, including observation, medical/surgical and intensive care beds, an emergency department, surgery suite, imaging services, and a dedicated labour and delivery unit. 

In addition, it will comprise a 12-bed emergency department, 42 medical/surgical beds, 18 observation beds, 12 intensive care beds, a surgery suite for both general and speciality procedures, and imaging services, as well as ancillary services, including laboratory, pharmacy, and in-patient therapy. 

It will also have a dedicated labour and delivery unit comprising 13 beds and a separate c-section surgery suite. 

AdventHealth said that it is planning to finalise the distribution of additional beds in the hospital in the upcoming days as the new 26-bed CON application is finalised. 

According to AdventHealth, the decision to expand the hospital’s capacity is based on extensive community engagement and analysis of population data, hospital usage, and land availability.  

AdventHealth’s leadership team has been actively involved in discussions with local residents to understand their unique healthcare needs and the importance of increased healthcare access and choice in Western North Carolina. 

The additional beds will ensure that the new hospital, located off US 25/70 west of I-26 in Weaverville, will address the coverage gap in the region.