From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Four health systems are currently engaged in fierce competition for state approval over 129 acute care hospital beds in Buncombe County.

Confirming that they filed applications with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to add the aforementioned beds are AdventHealth, Winston-Salem-based Novant Health, HCA Healthcare-owned Mission Health and UNC Health Pardee. 

Meanwhile, the Asheville Citizen Times on Oct. 20 reported that “state law requires health care providers to obtain a certificate of need, or CON, from the state health department before adding new beds or services, an often-contentious process that involves public hearings and, sometimes, years of litigation from health providers whose applications are denied.”

Following are the additional bed requests from the four health care systems:

• Mission Health is seeking to add 129 beds by expanding capacity at Asheville’s Mission Hospital,” noting that “not all acute care beds are the same.”

• UNC Health Pardee plans to build a new 129-bed community hospital in Buncombe County, dubbed UNC Health West, including emergency care, labor and delivery services, in-patient acute care and adult psychiatry services.

• The state has already approved AdventHealth for 93 beds at a new hospital it plans to build in Weaverville, as Mission challenges the move in state court. Notwithstandng, AdventHealth applied to add 129 beds to the facility.

• Novant Health plans to build a new, 26-bed cancer-focused hospital called Novant Health Asheville Medical Center in Buncombe County.