Wake Med Submits CON to Add 101 Beds

Triangle - RALEIGH, N.C. – WakeMed Health & Hospitals today submitted two complementary Certificate of Need (CON) applications to add 101 beds in accordance with the bed need allocation identified in North Carolina’s 2011 State Medical Facilities Plan. WakeMed is proposing to add 79 acute care beds to Raleigh Campus and 22 acute care beds to Cary Hospital.

Both Raleigh Campus and Cary Hospital currently operate above the State’s CON performance occupancy threshold of 71.4 percent for hospitals the size of Cary Hospital and 75.2 percent for hospitals the size of Raleigh Campus. By 2015, growth coupled with an aging population, will cause Raleigh Campus and Cary Hospital to have occupancy rates at or above 90 percent if no additional beds are opened at these facilities.

“WakeMed is the leading provider of inpatient health care services in Wake County – the second fastest growing county in North Carolina. And, WakeMed’s high inpatient occupancy drove the allocation of 101 beds in North Carolina’s State Medical Facilities Plan. Additionally, the other hospitals in Wake County currently have un- or under-utilized acute care beds and have not shown a good track record in providing the inpatient capacity that the community needs,” notes Stan Taylor, WakeMed vice president corporate planning.

Taylor continued, “Wake County will soon have five hospitals and four stand-alone emergency departments in geographically diverse, densely populated areas, ensuring access to healthcare across the county. Wake County does not need more hospitals. It needs to add more inpatient capacity in the county’s two busiest existing hospitals, leveraging existing infrastructure and support services already in place to add beds quickly, cost-effectively and efficiently.”

About WakeMed Health & Hospitals
WakeMed Health & Hospitals is a private, not-for-profit health care organization based in Raleigh, N.C. The 870-bed system comprises a network of health care facilities throughout Wake and Johnston Counties. Centers of excellence include cardiac and vascular care, women’s and children’s services, physical rehab, emergency and trauma, orthopedics, neurosciences, home care and numerous wellness and community outreach programs. WakeMed’s team of 7,750 employees, 1,000 volunteers, more than 1,000 affiliated physicians and 150 employed physicians serve the residents of North Carolina using the most advanced technologies to ensure the finest in health care. For more information, visit www.wakemed.org. (Source)