CaroMont Health looks to add beds, spend millions on upgrades
CaroMont Health is pursuing large-scale expansions for both its Gastonia and upcoming Belmont hospital locations that would take place in coming years.
The organization has filed the application with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services after the department’s annual N.C. State Medical Facilities Plan determined a need for 48 additional acute care beds in Gaston County, according to DHHS Certificate of Need Section representative Cynthia Bradford.
DHHS does not pay for approved changes, rather, it determines changes are necessary.
At a public hearing held in Dallas on Aug. 18, CaroMont Health Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Del Murphy presented the hospital’s request to Bradford.
CaroMont requested the ability to upfit of the third floor at their Gastonia location, to include 24 additional acute care beds, nurse stations, a medication room, clean and soiled rooms, consult rooms, a staff lounge with lockers, a family room, a conference room, and administrative support rooms.
The cost of this 33,366-square-foot upfit would come to a total of about $28.01 million.
Requested additions to CaroMont’s currently unfinished Belmont location include all of the requested additions to the Gastonia location, plus an observation room, on-call rooms, a third generator, a third chiller/boiler system, a secondary power feed, a gift/coffee shop/hot bar, modified roofing over tapered insulation, and the enlargement of four emergency treatment rooms by 25 feet.
The 36,490-square-foot upfit of the Belmont location’s fourth floor would cost about $43,9. million.
The Belmont location has been in progress for more than a year and was projected to be complete by late 2023.
This new location sits right off of exit 27 on Interstate 85.
Murphy listed five reasons the organization needs these updates.
Firstly, Murphy noted that the 2023 State Medical Facilities Plan formula found Gaston County to be one of only five counties in the state that is in need of more than 40 additional acute care beds.
Secondly, Murphy stated that from 2018 to 2023, Gaston County’s population grew by 18,000 people.
Murphy said that the population in Gaston County is expected to grow by another 9,000 people from 2023 to 2028, and that the fastest growing population within those increases are people ages 65 and over.
According to Murphy, the 65 and over age group uses hospital services more frequently than those aged 64 and below.
Murphy sites economic development trends as the third reason for these expansions.
Economic growth and updated infrastructure require up-to-date medical facilities, according to Murphy.
Another reason Murphy offered is the health status of Gaston County’s population.
Out of 100 counties in North Carolina, Gaston County ranks 58th in health outcomes and 54th in health factors, according to Murphy.
Murphy also stated that Mecklenburg County, in comparison, ranks 6th in health outcomes and 9th in health factors.
Lastly, Murphy cited CaroMont’s growth as an organization from 2017 to 2022.
If approved, the additions at both locations are set to be completed by July 1, 2026.
The DHHS Certificate of Need Section has until Nov. 27, 2023, to inform CaroMont of their decision, according to Bradford.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: CaroMont Health looks to add beds, spend millions on upgrades
