Earlier this year, three major healthcare facilities submitted applications to build hospital facilities in New Hanover County.
With those applications filed, Atrium Health, UNC Health and Novant Health are all awaiting the state's decision. While this facility is likely years away, other facilities have been completed or are in progress across the Wilmington area.
Recently, residents have been able to take advantage of new facilities, such as the Novant Health Scotts Hill Medical Center serving Pender and New Hanover counties, a new infusion center in Shallotte, and a new outpatient surgery center in Leland scheduled to open this summer. And other facilities are underway.
The following
facilities have received conditional approval from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services:
Novant Health Carolina Shores Emergency Department
According to documents obtained from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, this facility would be licensed under Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, with eight treatment rooms with one additional CT scanner, three additional units of ultrasound equipment and three additional units of x-ray/fluoroscopy equipment.
The facility will be for outpatient emergency services, which includes emergency department services, observation, outpatient imaging, and “other outpatient services provided during the ED visit,” the findings document states. This also includes supporting services, such as therapy, laboratory and pharmacy.
Documents show that the primary service area for the facility includes Calabash, Carolina Shores, Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, and unincorporated communities of Brunswick County, including Grissettown, Longwood and Ash, and Little River, S.C.
The facility is expected to cost $24,205,177, which includes the land purchase, construction and miscellaneous costs. Novant projects the facility will be operation by Sept. 1, 2028.
Novant Health Leland Medical Center
Documents from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services show this would be a 20-bed hospital. These beds would be relocated from the existing Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center in Supply. In addition to the 20 beds, the facility will also include five procedure rooms with four constructed to operating room standards, one CT scanner, two units of ultrasound equipment, one echocardiography unit, and four additional units of x-ray equipment.
According to the proposal, the facility is projected to be two stories with 142,460 square feet of climate-controlled space and ample onsite parking for staff, patients and visitors.
Documents show users of the facility will most likely come from the Leland area, including Riegelwood and Delco, which are unincorporated communities in Columbus County.
The facility is projected to cost $251,238,783. It is expected to open in 2029.
Columbus Regional East
The Columbus Regional Healthcare System is planning to construct a new 30-bed hospital in Delco. According to documents filed with North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the facility will operate under the existing Columbus Regional Hospital’s license, as it would relocate 30 acute care beds from Columbus County’s only hospital in Whiteville.
According to a news release on Columbus Regional Healthcare System’s website, the facility will be a 144,000-square foot hospital located on 18 acres at the former Acme-Delco Middle School property.
In addition to the 30 acute care beds, the facility will have five observation beds, one operating room, three procedure rooms, 11 emergency department treatment rooms, oncology services included 12 infusion chairs, one CT scanner, two fixed X-ray units, two ultrasound units, 1 SPECT-CT scanner, and an external scanner mobile technology pad for mobile MRI services.
Documents show the primary service area will include the towns of Delco and Bolton in Columbus counties, the town of Leland in Brunswick County, and unincorporated communities, such as Riegelwood in Columbus County and nearby areas in Brunswick and Bladen counties. The secondary services areas will include the town of Council in Bladen County, the town of Lake Waccamaw in Columbus County, and the unincorporated community of Winnabow in Brunswick County.
The facility is expected to cost $214,767,336, and it is expected to begin construction in summer 2027, becoming operational in 2029.
The Columbus Regional Healthcare System has already been serving Leland residents. In addition to clinics in the town, they also have Advance Care Leland, a 68,000-square-foot medical office building that will offer advanced services, including CT, ultrasound, Xray, MRI, primary care, orthopedics, and urology. Advance Care Leland is currently under construction and, according to a January 2026 news release, it is scheduled for completion in December 2026.
Novant Health New Hanover Rehabilitation Hospital
Certificate of Need documents show this will be a new building constructed on the current Novant Health Orthopedic Hospital campus, 5301 Wrightsville Ave., Wilmington. This certificate allows for the relocation of no more than 60 inpatient rehabilitation beds from Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
The facility is expected to cost $92,353,967. Construction began in July, and documents show an anticipated opening date of Jan. 1, 2028.
Renee Spencer is the community engagement editor at the StarNews. Reach her at rspencer@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Get a closer look at medical projects underway in the Wilmington area
