North Carolina Supreme Court Halts AdventHealth’s Hospital Expansion Plans
The North Carolina Supreme Court has paused a decision from a lower court that would have granted AdventHealth 67 acute care beds. This ruling came just days after Mission Hospital, based in Asheville, requested a temporary stay to further contest the decision from a three-judge panel in June.
AdventHealth, a health system from Florida, intends to build a 222-bed hospital in Weaverville, which would serve residents in Buncombe, Madison, Yancey, and Graham counties. The site, over 30 acres west of I-26, is already undergoing grading work.
The Supreme Court’s decision to stay the case means that all legal actions regarding the beds are on hold while it examines the situation. As of now, there is no timeline for when the Supreme Court will make a ruling.
Mission Hospital has stated the necessity of more beds in the area. “We accept thousands of transfers each year from other hospitals because patients need high-level care that only we can provide,” said Nancy Lindell, a spokesperson for Mission Health. She emphasized that it’s better to expand capacity at Mission Hospital rather than adding beds to facilities that can’t provide complex medical care.
In response to the court’s ruling, AdventHealth maintains that the stay doesn’t reflect the court’s opinion on the matter. “This stay simply means there’s more to discuss,” noted AdventHealth spokesperson Victoria Dunkle. She compared the legal scenario to a drive-thru combo meal where a drink and fries come with the order, implying that the stay was already in place before Mission requested it.
This ongoing legal contention falls under North Carolina’s Certificate of Need (CON) law. This law requires medical facilities to gain state approval for expansions, new services, or costly equipment.
In late 2022, AdventHealth received approval for the 67 acute care beds, but Mission contested this decision using the CON appeal route. A ruling in June appeared to favor AdventHealth, prompting Mission to pursue the recent stay.
Mission’s motion highlighted concerns about “substantial prejudice” from the Department of Health and Human Services during the approval process, claiming that key speakers were excluded from a public hearing. Mission’s attorneys pointed out flaws and confusion in the appellate court’s previously issued decisions.
AdventHealth’s proposed hospital plans include a modern surgery suite for both general and specialty services. Dunkle informed that AdventHealth will respond appropriately in the ongoing case.
As the situation develops, community health access remains at the forefront of discussions in the region.
