This article was contributed by Laurie Whalin, PharmD, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer, Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Coastal Region, and President of Scotts Hill Medical Center.

The fast-growing communities of Hampstead and Scotts Hill can now look forward to more healthcare access that’s closer to home.

Novant Health’s vision for the future is to bring health care services to the communities where they’re needed. For the past several months, we’ve been taking significant steps toward this goal with site work on Scotts Hill Medical Center. This carefully designed, multi-structure facility will be a one-stop health care destination for residents of northern New Hanover and eastern Pender counties.

The new medical center won’t be just a hospital, but a campus designed to respond to community needs, shorten travel and provide convenience. This design embraces evolving health care trends where fewer medical procedures require an overnight hospital stay, safety and efficiency remain paramount for both patients and team members, and medicine holistically focuses on wellness, not just treating illness.

PROVIDING CONVENIENT AND PERSONALIZED CARE

The 200,000-square-foot community hospital will have a surgical focus, including operating rooms and procedure rooms. The campus 
will include an imaging department for tests like X-rays and MRIs, and a medical office building for screenings and physician visits, including specialists in cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology and more.

One feature we’re particularly proud of is our medical office building’s cancer center that will provide medical oncology and radiation oncology together in one location. Radiation can be a five-day-a-week commitment by itself, so this design will reduce stress on those receiving both radiation and chemotherapy infusion treatments.

The campus will also offer state-of-the-art cardiac imaging and rehabilitation services, helping improve health and quality of life for those with heart disease, the leading cause of death for North Carolinians. The goal: specialized care to get each person safely back to doing the activities they love. 

JOINING TRADITION WITH INNOVATION

For the design and build, we drew from established local knowledge. The architect is LS3P, the designer of several well-known local buildings including Novant Health Betty H. Cameron Women’s & Children’s Hospital, Novant Health Zimmer Cancer Institute and Cape Fear Community College’s Wilson Center. We’re proud to continue to work with local company Rodgers Builders for construction, the builders of several Novant Health medical centers in Wilmington and Charlotte.

Novant Health team members were also instrumental in creating the design of the new campus buildings. By collaborating in workflow sessions, team members and the architects determined the most efficient floorplans to optimize the coordination of resources, care, safety and efficiency.

PREPARING FOR A GROWING COMMUNITY

The state of North Carolina projects that by the end of this decade, 33,000 additional people could call New Hanover County home, and Pender County could add more than 14,000. Ensuring a future of high-quality care for the residents of Scotts Hill and Hampstead means bringing care options to them, instead of asking them to travel to central Wilmington. Growing access is a high priority for Novant Health, and we’re committed to bringing remarkable experiences to life in our communities.

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Laurie Whalin, PharmD, FACHE 
Chief Operating Officer, Novant Health  New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Coastal Market and President of Scotts Hill Medical Center 

Laurie Whalin was named Chief Operating Officer of Novant Health Coastal Market in February 2022 and President of the future Scotts Hill Medical Center. Prior to that Laurie served as the President/COO of Brunswick Medical Center with Novant Health.  

Laurie received her B.S. in Marine Biology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and her Doctor of Pharmacy from Campbell University. She had been with New Hanover Regional Medical Center for over 13 years serving in a variety of leadership roles prior to the partnership with Novant Health in 2021. 

Laurie serves on the New Hanover County Health and Human Services Board of Directors, NCHA Strategic Partners Board of Directors, as well as is a fellow and an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.