Design and Construction Report staff writer
Novant Health has greenlit a construction plan to expand and modernize its New Hanover Regional Medical Center, a move expected to shape healthcare delivery in the Wilmington region for decades.
The project, part of the health system’s Vision 2030 master facility plan, includes a new heart and vascular patient tower, a major outpatient services expansion, a new rehabilitation hospital, and reconfigured space within the existing medical center to boost access to care.
The heart and vascular tower, to be built on the South 17th Street campus in place of the current rehabilitation hospital, will consolidate inpatient beds, surgical suites, cardiac catheterization labs, and electrophysiology labs under one roof. The 80,000-sq. ft. outpatient medical office building will accompany the tower, easing capacity pressures at the existing facility on Physicians Drive.
“This investment will fuel generational change to healthcare in this community,” said Ernie Bovio, president of Novant Health Coastal Region. “It was made possible because this community chose Novant Health five years ago to strengthen healthcare access.”
The new rehabilitation hospital, located on the Wrightsville Avenue campus, will feature 60 private rooms, nearly doubling current inpatient rehabilitation capacity. Meanwhile, renovations on the ground and first floors of New Hanover Regional Medical Center will optimize space for endoscopy, surgical services, and other high-demand areas.
Construction is expected to be phased over five to seven years, with the heart and vascular tower slated to open by 2031. Project costs are estimated at more than $1 billion, reflecting both the scale of the expansion and the region’s growing healthcare needs, particularly in cardiovascular and rehabilitative care.
The Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute currently sees more than 18,000 new patients annually and performs over 12,500 surgeries and procedures. The institute plans to recruit an additional 75 physicians and advanced practice providers over the next decade to meet rising demand.
“Once complete, the heart and vascular tower and outpatient expansion will make Wilmington a premier destination for cardiovascular care,” said Laurie Whalin, president of Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center. “Patients will be able to access state-of-the-art care locally, supported by dedicated, award-winning teams.”
Novant Health will seek state approval under North Carolina’s certificate of need law as construction advances.
