Liberty Health and Novant Health have filed applications for expansion at existing regional facilities. 

As part of its plan to expand in Brunswick County, Novant Health has applied to add 18 acute care beds at its Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center ahead of the planned opening of its Leland hospital. Additionally, Liberty Commons Rehabilitation Center is applying to relocate 60 skilled nursing facility beds for its expansion plans.  

The applications are going through the state's certificate of need (CON) process. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services' (NCDHHS) Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) has 90 to 150 days to review a CON application. 

Novant seeks to add Brunswick beds

As part of its application to build a Leland hospital, Novant Health applied to move 20 acute care beds from its Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center (NHBMC) main campus. That proposal was conditionally approved in March. Now, Novant is proposing to add 18 beds back to the campus with plans to put them into operation by January 2030 – which is around the time when the Novant Health Leland Medical Center is expected to open. 

The 18 beds would be added to the existing acute care rooms on the second floor of NHBMC, with the two remaining rooms becoming unlicensed observation rooms. 

Because the project does not entail any new construction, renovation or equipment, the proposed capital expenditures are just over $1 million, with the main costs being a project contingency of $50,000 per room for unexpected incidental repairs, painting, or materials.  

If approved by the state, NHBMC would operate 72 licensed acute care beds, while the new Leland hospital would have 20 beds. 

The project includes letters of support from area organizations, including Dosher Memorial Hospital and Lower Cape Fear LifeCare. 

“We believe the proposed expansion will help Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center continue meeting the needs of a growing community,” wrote Lynda Stanley, president and CEO of Dosher Memorial Hospital. “Investments in healthcare capacity benefit the entire community and help ensure patients can receive the right care at the right place at the right time.”

According to the application, inpatient volume has grown faster at NHBMC than across the state as a whole over the past six years. The number of acute care patient days increased statewide by 9.84% from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2025, while patient volume during that same period increased by more than 30%, or by over 4,000 patient days, at NHBMC, the filing states. 

“Between 2019 and 2025, Brunswick County hospitals provided an additional 4,556 days of acute care to residents,” the application said. “(NHBMC) is the driving force of that increase, accounting for 92.3% (4,206 days) of the growth across the period.”

According to the application, if Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center had operated with only 54 acute care beds in 2024 and 2025, its occupancy rate would have exceeded 90%. With all 74 licensed beds in operation, occupancy was 68.1% in 2024 and 67.4% in 2025.

Liberty plans 60-bed expansion

According to CON filings, Liberty Commons is proposing to relocate 20 nursing facility beds from Davis Health and Wellness Center at Cambridge Village and 40 nursing facility beds from Davis Health Care Center. 

According to the filing, following the sale of the larger Cambridge Village campus, the lease for the 20 nursing facility beds was canceled. The facility ceased operating as a skilled nursing facility on Oct. 7. Additionally, the 40 beds currently licensed at Davis Health Care Center are “no longer needed at their existing location” because of low resident demand. The application included a letter of support from Joanna Biehl, CEO of Cornelia Nixon Davis Inc., owner and operator of the Davis Community. 

“Based on our operational experience and utilization patterns, the relocation of these beds will not adversely affect access to skilled nursing services for individuals who continue to utilize Davis Health Care Center,” wrote Biehl in her letter of support. “We believe the proposed relocation represents an appropriate and efficient use of existing licensed resources and will help address the need for additional skilled nursing capacity in New Hanover County.” 

If the state approves the relocation of the 60 beds under CON procedure, the Liberty Commons Rehabilitation Center will have a total of 142 nursing facility beds. According to the application, occupancy at Liberty Commons for nursing facility beds averaged approximately 93.5% in 2024 and 94.1% in 2025, with occupancy averaging 95.5% through September 2026

The application also proposes temporarily suspending operations of the facility’s 40 adult care home beds. Liberty plans to use the existing adult care home bed space for the expanding nursing facility operation, with plans to restore those beds through a future expansion, according to the application.

The proposed budget for the relocation and expansion of skilled nursing services at Liberty Commons is just under $1 million, at $998,000. The proposed project would involve limited renovation and reconfiguration of existing interior space and would not include new construction or replacement of major building systems. 

Pending state approval, Liberty Health anticipates completing construction by Dec. 1, 2027, with services offered by Jan. 1, 2028, according to the application.