Rex seeks OK for Holly Springs ORs

The move comes almost a year after the state turned down Novant Health's bid to build a 41-bed, $100 million hospital in the growing town in southern Wake County.

Rex received state approval two years ago for a 9,000-square-foot outpatient center near the intersection of N.C. Highway 55 Bypass and Avent Ferry Road in Holly Springs. In addition to the two operating rooms, the hospital system plans to open a surgical physician practice at the outpatient center.

In the fiscal year that ended last June, Rex performed 3,000 outpatient surgeries for residents of Holly Springs and southern Wake County, officials said.

"We hope the state recognizes the need to support this application for operating rooms, as Rex generated the need for the three ORs in the state master facility plan,” David Strong, president of Rex Healthcare, said in a statement. “The addition of these operating rooms to our campus in Holly Springs will provide a comprehensive center in this high growth area of Wake County."

The third operating room the hospital system wants would be on Rex's main campus in Raleigh and would be used for cancer surgeries.

Still stinging from the decision last year that cost them a new hospital, Holly Springs officials are backing Rex's bid for the operating rooms.

“We fully and exclusively commit our support to Rex’s (certificate of need) application to the state,” Town Manager Carl Dean said in a statement. “Our town is growing, and we look forward to Rex Healthcare’s ability to provide much-needed medical services to our community through the addition of these two new operating rooms.”