WakeMed, Rex to battle Novant for hospital beds

Raleigh, N.C. — A week after a company proposed building a hospital in Holly Springs, WakeMed said it plans to transform its medical center in north Raleigh into a women's hospital and Rex Healthcare plans to expand its obstetrics and surgery departments.

The catch is that all three hospital groups are going after the same beds that state regulators have approved for the area.

Novant Health, WakeMed and Rex plan to file certificates of need with the state Division of Health Service Regulation on Aug. 15. The division has approved 41 new hospital beds for Wake County and will begin reviewing proposals in September.

Novant last week announced plans for a 46-bed hospital in Holly Springs, which officials said would create 200 jobs in the town.

WakeMed wants to transition its North Healthplex, at the intersection of Falls of Neuse and Durant roads, into the county's first full-service women's hospital, spokeswoman Heather Monackey said.

The 6-year-old north Raleigh facility already has been approved for 20 beds – WakeMed is moving them from its main campus – and hospital system officials would like the additional beds to expand obstetrics services and to provide specialized health care to the area's growing female population, Monackey said.

The North Healthplex currently offers a stand-alone emergency room, as well as radiology and rehabilitation services and four operating rooms for outpatient surgeries.

Rex wants to use 26 beds for obstetrics and 15 for medical and surgery patients, noting growing volume in both departments in recent years.

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skydvr, "Have you ever been to Good Hope you ask". I was born in Good Hope. It was in need of repair and they filed for the beds way before Wake Med/Betsy Johnson did to build a new facility. Bought the land and all and were going to build it near Campbell University but did not have political clout and were crushed and put out of business by the Johnny come lately Wake Med/Betsy Johnson group with the help of political insiders that issue the CON's for the state. The CON process is corrupt and the applicant with the most political clout wins. It is not a matter of merit, justice and fairness. That is never considered. I do not have a problem with the quality of care of Wake Med. If I needed surgery that is where I would go but I did not appreciate seeing a small hospital from a small town shafted the way Good Hope and the town of Erwin were.

sweetsea
July 30, 2008 5:15 p.m.

Did you ever go to Good Hope, that facility was in DESPERATE need of repair/replacement. The Lillington hospital would have already been built if the folks who are trying to make a for profit remake of good hope would just give up.

Look up every month on the division of facility service's website, you can look at all the CON's out there and see how many have been approved/denied at any given time and who has applied for what.

skydvr692
July 30, 2008 5:00 p.m.

HS resident, wakemed is a non for profit hospital as well I think a hospital out that way is a good idea, but it has to have the cliental to support it. i also think the womena hospital is a good idea. i will say in wake med defense, this didn' start because of the hospital plan in holly springs, this thought has been there for a couple of years

mom2threecld
July 30, 2008 4:22 p.m.

Wake Med did not hinder Good Hope, it put them out of business by having enough political clout with state government and exercising it. Harnett Health is a Wake Med led supposed to happen deal that never did happen. Wake and Betsy Johnson bought a small shopping center that had a big sign up saying that they were going to put a medical facility there for Erwin. That was nothing but a ruse. It is now slated to become a bowling alley. Bottom line is that if Wake had patients lined up for a mile, they still do not want competition.

sweetsea
July 30, 2008 1:56 p.m.

Ok, so maybe 15 minutes to wakemed cary, I used to live in Holly Springs so I know the time it takes.

As to WakeMed hindering the Good Hope, read between the lines. Good Hope lost the CON process TWICE and now fight to get the CON through the courts. That CON was awarded to the Harnett Health System almost 3 years ago and its still bogged down.

If you look at North Raleigh, look around, there is nothing relatively close to that area as far as full service hospitals. Rex is 14 miles and 25 minutes away from Wake North as is Wake Raleigh. Duke and UNC are even further. You have the same demographic in each location, affluent insured patients.

But either Rex or Wake get the beds, it really doesn't matter b/c both facilities are at capacity most days of the week.

skydvr692
July 30, 2008 12:13 p.m.