NHRMC is expanding its footprint on the northern side of New Hanover County.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center, a part of Novant Health, is being granted a certificate of need (CON) to build a new 66-bed acute care hospital in Scotts Hill, according to an announcement Thursday.

Construction is expected to begin in 2022, with an opening around 2024, a news release stated.

According to the release, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services had previously denied the application due to some technical clarifications but agreed to approve it after NHRMC filed an appeal "establishing the compelling need for the hospital to serve the growing population in that area."

John Gizdic, Novant Health executive vice president and chief business development officer, said in the release, “This will allow us to better care for our neighbors with more accessible care and additional services.”

The new acute care hospital will be on the site with the NHRMC Emergency Department-North, an existing free-standing emergency department and surgical center.

The hospital will include 36 new beds, plus 30 beds relocated from the NHRMC Orthopedic Hospital on Wrightsville Avenue, and eight operating rooms.