Davie County Hospital and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have submitted to the state three alternatives to build a replacement for Davie County Hospital.
“We have addressed the State’s concerns and are confident that we will gain approval for the new hospital,” said Donny Lambeth, interim president of North Carolina Baptist Hospital. The state denied the initial CON application February 27.
“By providing the state with three alternatives, we are demonstrating our commitment to Davie County to bring a world-class community hospital that will serve the growing area of Davie, western Forsyth and southern Yadkin counties,” Lambeth said. “This comprehensive approach gives us the best chance of achieving the goal of a new hospital in Davie County.”
First, Davie County Hospital is appealing the decision of the state that denied the application for an 81-bed hospital. “We are expressing our opinion that our application met the State’s criteria for a replacement hospital,” Lambeth said. “Most of the State’s concerns were technical issues which will be addressed in the appeal process.”
Second, Davie County Hospital has filed a new application for a replacement hospital with 46 acute care beds and four obstetrical beds. “This application addresses the concerns of the State by removing beds intended for patients who need 15 or more days in the hospital to recover from their illnesses or injury but do not need acute care for that entire time,” Lambeth said. Since the Davie application was submitted to the state, the federal government has placed a moratorium on these long-term beds.
Third, Davie County Hospital has filed another application for a 50-bed hospital that would not have obstetrical services or the long-term beds. “We have strong support from women of Davie County who have told us that they want to deliver babies in Davie County, and we believe there is a need for a small obstetrical service in a community hospital,” Lambeth said. “At the same time, we must explore every avenue to achieve our goal — getting the state’s approval to build a new hospital,” he added.
In August, Davie County and Wake Forest Baptist announced plans to invest $125 million in a primary and urgent care center in Mocksville and the 81-bed hospital in the eastern part of the County, to serve western Forsyth and southern Yadkin counties, in addition to Davie.
The hospital’s location, at the interchange of I-40 and N.C. 801 in an area designated for commercial development, is easily accessible by residents of the proposed service area.
“Hospitals must be allowed to meet the projected growth of the service areas for decades,” said William B. Applegate, MD, Interim President of WFU Health Sciences. “The population of the new hospital’s service area is projected to be 92,300 by 2010 and 117,400 by 2030.”
Davie County is the fastest growing county in the Piedmont Triad and one of the fastest in North Carolina. Its population has grown from 27,800 in 1990 to 40,200 today. Projections call for an increase to 58,600 in 2020.
Only one other North Carolina county in the population range of Davie does not have a hospital. Currently, Forsyth County has three hospitals, and the State has granted approval for a fourth in Kernersville.
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Media Contact: Jonnie Rohrer, jrohrer@wfubmc.edu, at 336 716.6972.
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Brenner Children’s Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the University’s School of Medicine and Piedmont Triad Research Park. The system comprises 1,154 acute care, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and has been ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report since 1993. Wake Forest Baptist is ranked 32nd in the Nation by America’s Top Doctors for the number of its doctors considered best by their peers. The institution ranks in the top third in funding by the National Institutes of Health and 4th in the Southeastern United States in revenues from its licensed intellectual property.
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