Angel Medical Center Reviews Potential Site for Replacement Facility at the Intersection of Highway 441 and Hunnicut Lane

PRESS RELEASE
November 1, 2017

                             Image shows area under consideration.

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FRANKLIN, N.C. (November 1, 2017) – Angel Medical Center began its evaluation of properties for its new replacement hospital this summer and has recently completed a due diligence assessment phase on a potential location.  Based on the assessment, the site under evaluation at 1 Center Court Franklin, N.C., located at the intersection of Hwy 441 and Hunnicut Lane has been determined to nicely fit the most important criteria for the new facility. With this phase now complete, hospital leaders and the project team are now moving forward with the required steps to seek North Carolina state regulatory approvals necessary as part of the site selection process.

The site selection process is one that requires extensive research and the meticulous consideration of multiple aspects of a potential property, ensuring that it meets a range of standards established by the hospital’s leadership, project team and board in order to accommodate the new facility’s physical requirements and anticipated flows.  Additionally, required local and state regulatory approvals, including application for a Certificate of Need has been filed with the Certificate of Need Section of the NC Department of Health Services Regulation.  Official review of that application will begin November 1, 2017, and approval must be obtained in order to finalize the selected site.  Given the clear need for a replacement facility, close proximity to the current hospital location and obvious community benefits, leaders don’t anticipate any good-faith concerns about this site.  The $45 million investment in a new, state-of-the-art replacement hospital for Macon County and the surrounding community represents a major investment in the future of healthcare for the region and a benefit to every resident of Franklin.  

The proposed site will offer a more central and easier-to-access location for patients, visitors and staff, allow for more prominent and clearer wayfaring signage and potential future expansion.  In addition, it will enable project architects and the hospital’s planning team to create a building and grounds design that optimizes parking for patients.  This is especially important for the Emergency Department and visitor parking sections. The proposed site also offers an approach that contributes to traffic decompression that will have a favorable impact on patient and visitor experiences.

Following a comprehensive strategic master facility planning consultation and evaluation of the existing facility early this year, it was determined that construction of a new facility designed to meet the needs of the community for decades to come was both desired and required, given that renovation of the current, outdated structure was financially irresponsible and the constrained location was not in the best interest of the community.

Karen Gorby, Angel Medical Center’s President and CNO, notes that the new site – and the hospital that sits on it – will house the clinicians and state-of-the-art equipment that are essential to provide the best patient care. “With our oldest building being 60 years old, it was time to think seriously about how our facility would remain strong in the decades to come. A suitable site will be the foundation for the hospital that will serve our deserving community members and their healthcare needs in the best way possible,” she said.   Board Chair Jane Kimsey added: “We are both proud and excited to take this next step to support our community.  The incredible replacement facility will serve our community for many decades to come, making a difference in the lives of so many in Franklin and the surrounding region.”

ABOUT ANGEL MEDICAL CENTER

Angel Medical Center, a member of Mission Health, is a full-service, not-for-profit community hospital serving Macon and the surrounding counties. Located in Franklin, N.C., Angel Medical Center is a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital offering inpatient services that include an intensive care unit and a medical and surgical unit. Outpatient services include a wound clinic, chemotherapy services, a full laboratory, digital mammography, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, rehab therapy, as well as surgical and endoscopy services. The hospital also operates the Angel Urgent Care Center and Angel Home Health & Hospice. For more information, please visit angelmed.org.

ABOUT MISSION HEALTH

Mission Health, based in Asheville, North Carolina, is the state’s sixth-largest health system. For the fifth time in the past six years, Mission Health has been named one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems by Truven Health Analytics, an IBM Company and part of IBM Watson Health in 2017. We are the only health system in North Carolina to achieve this recognition. Mission Health operates six hospitals, numerous outpatient and surgery centers, post-acute care provider CarePartners, long-term acute care provider Asheville Specialty Hospital, and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. With approximately 12,000 team members and 2,000 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the people of western North Carolina. For more information, please visit mission-health.org or @MissionHealthNC.