As the Cape Fear region continues to grow, so do the health care needs of its residents. The area’s largest providers are responding to those needs through expansions in the next couple of years.

The MedNorth Health Center, for example, in downtown Wilmington is expanding by leaps and bounds, and CEO Althea Johnson is looking forward for the grand opening of its new facility.

“Construction is going very well, and I’m excited to see how it’s progressing and learning so much about the construction process,” Johnson said. “The planned completion is March 2026.”

The new two-story structure, being built at the corner of North Third and Bladen streets, will add approximately 35,000 square feet to the health center’s campus.

“We don’t have room to fit the increasing number of patients, so this new space will improve work flow and increase space needed for us to see more patients,” Johnson said.

The new building will also include added space for teaching those going into the medical field: medical students, medical assistants, residents, nurses, dental assistants and hygienists, and pharmacy techs.

“The purpose of this built-in space is to grow our own by exposing other health care professionals to what a community health center is doing, and it’ll serve as an ongoing work interview to grow others who want to help the community,” Johnson said.

Growing the workforce is a major goal for those in the health care industry, according to Alexis Hunter, Wilmington Health’s executive of strategic relationships and foundation.

According to Hunter, Wilmington Health has launched a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant program to train their own staff members to become CCMAs and fill much-needed clinical roles within their organization.

“It is kind of tough to recruit and retain clinical employees, and medical assistants are really important to the daily functions of Wilmington Health,” Hunter said.

Long-serving nurse managers teach on the Wilmington Health campus and the program includes clinical time to “learn the ropes” throughout the six-month program, Hunter explained. At the end of the program, they will take the state certification exam and fill a vital role within the organization. “It is an exciting opportunity for some of our employees who want to fulfill a clinical role while keeping their full-time job. We like to advance our own personnel here at Wilmington Health. It is something we’re just really proud of,” Hunter said.

Wilmington Health, with its 1,250 providers treating patients over four counties, sees close to 165,000 unique patients every year, according to Hunter. To meet these demands, they continue to expand their reach in a four-county area.

One of the latest expansions is the Wilmington Health Endoscopy and Surgery Center, a newly renovated facility at 2421 Silver Stream Lane. The 9,000-square-foot facility includes several facility enhancements to provide patients with the highest level of care and comfort.

“It’s a bigger space with more advanced equipment to give providers opportunities to utilize more innovative ideas and modern tools to provide fantastic care,” Hunter said.

Wilmington Health also has partnered with the American Medical Group Association to establish a value-based care alliance.

This arrangement with health insurance companies rewards health groups for preventing illnesses and maintaining patient health. Instead of the fee-for-service model, this encourages helping patients to stay well and stay healthier by managing chronic conditions to live vibrant, fulfilling lives.

“We are early adopters as it is part of our culture at Wilmington Health care as a physician-owned private practice, so they are leaning on us to better understand value-based arrangements and we are really excited to partner with this national group and showcase what we do,” Hunter said.

Laurie Whalin, who was named earlier this year president of Acute Care Operations and Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center for Novant Health’s Coastal Region, said plans for the area’s newest hospital are moving forward.

The Scotts Hill Medical Center is slated to open next summer, and the community hospital with seventy-four inpatient beds will provide care for a host of medical and surgical needs and decompress pressure on the main medical center on 17th street.

The hospital expands the Scotts Hill campus, which already includes the Medical Office Plaza that opened last December, to bring specialty care to that part of New Hanover County.

The medical plaza includes a Novant Health Cancer Institute hub to offer both infusion treatments and radiation and a multispecialty clinic offering primary care, specialty care and other services including cardiac rehab and outpatient physical therapy co-located in that spot.

“This provides a wide range of ambulatory services, which is the outpatient focus where health care has been headed over the last ten years,” Whalin said.

Other areas of expanded services include Leland and Bolivia in Brunswick County and in Pender County at the Novant Health Pender Medical Center in Burgaw.

“Our focus is meeting the health care needs of every patient in the community,” Whalin said, “and we take it seriously as we are treating our sisters and brothers and our own team members, and it is a privilege to do so.”