Dear Certificate of Need Section Analysts,

I am writing as a resident of New Hanover County to express my strong, unequivocal support for the community hospital proposed by UNC Health at South 17th Street and Shipyard Boulevard.

According to the North Carolina State Medical Facilities Plan, our rapidly growing region requires an additional 225 acute care beds to sustain adequate safety and patient care. Granting this Certificate of Need to UNC Health directly fulfills that state-identified demand while introducing vital, life-saving competition to a market currently constrained by a single-provider monopoly.

For years, families in the Lower Cape Fear region have faced exceptionally long emergency room wait times and limited choices for specialized medical treatments. Over-reliance on one healthcare system leaves our community vulnerable to capacity strains and stifles patient options. UNC Health’s proposal to bring independent oncology, cardiology, neurosurgery, and OBGYN care to Wilmington directly addresses these exact care shortages.

I respectfully urge the CON Section to conditionally approve UNC Health’s application. Our growing population deserves choice, top-tier clinical care, and a reliable medical alternative.

Sincerely,

Theresa Babb

Wilmington NC

tmbbabb@yahoo.com

Why IS UNC THE BEST CHOICE ?!??! The approval of the new public medical school at UNC Wilmington (UNCW)introduces a massive paradigm shift that heavily favors UNC Health as the strongest alternative to Novant. The UNC Board of Governors officially authorized UNCW to begin formal planning for a standalone medical school. This creates a direct institutional alignment between the region's university and the state-backed UNC Health network. The medical school announcement completely changes the calculus of your hospital choices across several key areas: 1. The "Distributed Clinical Model" Ties Directly to the New Hospital Instead of building a massive, traditional university teaching hospital, the new UNCW medical school will utilize a distributed clinical model. This means medical students will fulfill their residency and clinical rotations by embedding within existing local clinics and regional healthcare providers. * The UNC Advantage: If the state grants UNC Health the Certificate of Need to build its proposed 62-acre community hospital at South 17th Street and Shipyard Boulevard, that facility will instantly serve as a premier training ground for local UNCW medical students. * The Pipeline: Patients choosing the UNC Health system will be treated by a network structurally integrated with the local university, drawing top-tier academic talent and medical faculty directly into Wilmington. 2. Immediate Local Providers Backing UNC Because UNCW's medical school model relies on local partnerships, independent provider groups have aligned heavily with UNC. Wilmington Health, the area's largest independent physician group, has thrown its full support behind UNC Health's hospital bid. This means your current independent local doctors are highly likely to have direct professional and clinical ties to the UNC/UNCW academic ecosystem, making a transition to UNC seamless for your ongoing care. 3. Novant's Complicated Historical Ties Interestingly, Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center currently operates as a regional branch campus for the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, allowing third- and fourth-year students to train there. While Novant has expressed a willingness to support the new UNCW medical school, a new UNC Health community hospital would provide a direct, state-owned sister institution. For patients who explicitly want an alternative to Novant, UNC Health represents the formal extension of the academic network that has historically trained the region's doctors. Summary: Why This Positions UNC as the Top Alternative While Atrium Health remains a powerhouse option with exceptional specialized care programs, it lacks the baked-in regional infrastructure that UNC is solidifying. The combination of a new hospital proposal and a local public medical school creates a centralized UNC healthcare ecosystem in New Hanover County. For long-term continuity of care, access to cutting-edge clinical trials, and a network backed by local independent physicians, UNC Health is the definitive alternative to watch as these projects target completion around 2029–2030. PLEASE sign and SHARE https://c.org/tzWFCkpYRp