WILMINGTON — UNC Health has announced plans to build a new community hospital on a 62-acre proposed site in Wilmington, with a targeted opening of 2030.
The healthcare network is a not-for-profit, state-owned integrated academic health care system based in Chapel Hill and is affiliated with the UNC School of Medicine. UNC Health identified the southeast corner of South 17th Street and Shipyard Boulevard, within 1 mile from Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, noting its accessibility and “geographic infill capacity in serving a rapidly growing region.”
READ MORE: ‘Same old-same old’: Novant NHRMC receives another ‘C’ Leapfrog grade
According to spokesperson Alan Wolf, UNC Health “spent months” on listening to feedback from families, clinicians and Wilmington leaders about healthcare needs in the area.
“The message we heard consistently: They want more choice, more specialty care close to home and a long‑term commitment to the region,” Wolf said. “We are confident that our proposal will be welcomed by the community.”
UNC Health will need to undergo the state’s certificate of need process to gain approval for the facility. According to the 2026 State Medical Facilities Plan, there’s a projection for 225 acute care beds needed in New Hanover County by 2028.
The group plans to file for its certificate of need on June 15 and didn’t have specifics to share with Port City Daily yet regarding the new hospital — including how many beds it will bring, other details about infrastructure, a physical address, or anticipated costs.
The community hospital will offer a comprehensive range of specialties, including emergency care, cardiology, oncology, OBGYN and more.
Dr. Cristy Page, CEO of UNC Health, noted in a press release specialty care options were needed in New Hanover County.
“As a Wilmington native, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges families face when specialty care isn’t available in their own community,” she said. “This is what ‘care closer to home’ looks like: a community hospital, backed by a statewide, state-owned academic health system, designed to bring the additional services this growing community has asked for.”
After the certificate of need is filed, a public hearing will be scheduled to garner community feedback. It could take place in August, Wolf anticipates, with the state issuing a decision by December this year.
Port City Daily reached out to both the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners and the Wilmington City Council for their input on another healthcare facility serving the greater southeastern North Carolina region.
“More options and competition in the private sector typically benefit consumers,” Commissioner Dane Scalise wrote in a text message to Port City Daily. “I look forward to learning more.”
Commissioners Rob Zapple and LeAnn Pierce agreed.
“As New Hanover County continues to experience significant growth, additional healthcare options are welcome news for our residents,” Pierce wrote in a text to Port City Daily. “Access, competition and expanded services can all benefit New Hanover County residents.”
Zapple thought the central placement of the hospital and proximity to other health care services was beneficial.
“You start looking around New Hanover County, the number of sites that are large enough to handle hospital are pretty small — I think they really jumped out quick and locked that down,” Zapple said.
Commissioner Stephanie Walker said the announcement is exciting and fulfills the state’s call for more beds
“More capacity means more hospital beds here,” she wrote to Port City Daily. “More capacity means more access and that’s good for patients, especially in communities that have historically had fewer options.”
Wilmington council member Salette Andrews said access to high-quality, affordable healthcare was “one of the most pressing issues” community-wide. Despite acknowledging how many of her constituents would welcome the facility, she had some concerns about the site. The hospital will need approval from the Wilmington City Council to proceed to construction.
“The proposed location at Shipyard Boulevard and South 17th Street is already one of the more heavily traveled corridors in our city, so traffic, infrastructure capacity, stormwater management, neighborhood compatibility, and emergency access will all need to be carefully reviewed as more details become available,” Andrews wrote in an email to Port City Daily.
A city spokesperson confirmed to Port City Daily it has not received any submissions for the site yet.
The Wilmington hospital facility is part of UNC Health’s expansion into southeastern North Carolina; it currently has a health center in Lumberton. UNC Health says it plans to partner with local healthcare groups, including Wilmington Health, the largest independent, physician-owned practice in southeastern North Carolina. UNC Health said Wilmington Health providers are expected to participate on the medical staff of the new hospital.
“Wilmington Health has served this community for more than 50 years, and we know firsthand that our patients are interested in choice,” Jeff James, CEO of Wilmington Health, said in a release. “We strongly support UNC Health’s plan to bring a new community hospital to our region– closing critical gaps in specialty care and ensuring families across our region have options to access the services they need, right here at home.”
UNC Health’s new facility, if approved, will bring competition to Novant, the primary healthcare network in the region. Novant continuously battles complaints and criticisms on its services by locals and received another “C” grade from Leapfrog, a nonprofit organization evaluating hospital safety and quality nationwide biannually for nearly 3,000 hospitals, with updates each spring and fall.
Since Novant Health acquired NHRMC from the county in 2021, the hospital moved from a “B” grade in 2022 and 2023 to a “C” in 2024 — a rating it has now held for three consecutive cycles.
The hospital continues to score below national averages on patient outcome measures tied to surgical care and complications, while performing better in categories related to infection prevention protocols and hospital safety systems.
The most comparable facility to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in UNC Health’s system is UNC Health Rex in Raleigh, North Carolina. It earned a “B” in Leapfrog’s most recent grading, down from an “A” in several past assessments.
Port City Daily reached out to Novant Health for comment on the UNC Health proposal. Laurie Whalin, president of Novant NHRMC, said the healthcare entity “fully expected” competition to arrive in a high-need area due to population growth, but also noted Novant remains committed to patient care in the region.
“Our strong community partnerships and our Vision 2030 plans to improve access to high-quality care are years in the making,” Whalin detailed. “I’m extremely proud of our physicians and our care teams, and all the work they have done to advance the level of care offered in our Coastal Region.”
She noted in the last five years upon Novant’s arrival on the southeastern coast, it has invested $2 billion to expand healthcare infrastructure. In June, Novant will celebrate the opening of Scotts Hill Medical Center, followed by adding a hospital and surgery center in Leland and other medical offices in the region.
“We will also file for state approval for an expanded heart and vascular center of excellence in a new patient tower, building on the nationally recognized expertise of our teams,” Whalin said. “As always, we will continue to invest in our people and our patients to support the wellbeing of the entire region.”
UNC Health and Novant have a partnership through research efforts, educational programming and other initiatives. Wolf told Port City Daily the collaboration “has improved care, access and medical education in the Wilmington region,” something they expect to see continue.
The new hospital’s announcement also follows the recent addition of Ernie Bovio to its leadership team. Formerly the president of the Novant Health Coastal Region, Bovio joined UNC Health in April 2026.
“This is an important first step in our commitment to ensuring that families in Wilmington and the surrounding areas have access to the high-quality, compassionate care they deserve — right here at home,” Bovio said in the release. “As I’ve listened to my own neighbors and community members across the region, I’ve heard a clear message: Wilmington is ready for more choice in healthcare — and UNC Health is ready to deliver it.”
Should UNC Health be approved through the state and pass city permitting, it could be another hospital in the system with close access to a potential medical school as well, should UNCW’s plans to bring a doctorate program come to fruition. The UNC Board of Governors will meet on May 21 to consider a medical school for UNCW’s campus. Though it won’t include a teaching hospital, Chancellor Aswani Volety said the school will rely on community partnerships for hands-on learning and residency needs, at area hospitals, clinics and healthcare facilities.
“UNC Health has a long history of partnering with North Carolina’s educational institutions,” Wolf said. “We look forward to understanding more about UNCW’s vision and exploring where alignment could benefit Wilmington.”
Port City Daily asked UNCW questions about UNC Health’s arrival. Specifically, was there any indication of the UNC Health announcement as leadership has been discussing a potential medical school on UNCW’s campus in the last year? More so, would having a UNC Health school in the area compel favoritism for Wilmington to become the next campus to house a med school?
UNCW released the following statement from Chancellor Volety:
“This announcement reinforces the need that UNCW has been addressing. Current and future hospitals in our region require a strong pipeline of well-trained doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and UNCW is committed to doing our part in addressing these regional workforce needs, increasing clinical care capacity and improving access to care close to home. Our proposed medical school is a key component of expanding our state’s healthcare infrastructure and meeting the needs of North Carolinians.”
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