Ernie Bovio

More families are planting roots here. More seniors are retiring here. Demand for healthcare is exceeding capacity. These are just a few reasons why UNC Health is proposing to build a new community hospital at South 17th Street and Shipyard Boulevard.  

As a member of this community and leader of UNC Health’s Southeast Coastal region, I’ve spent years listening to residents, clinicians, employers and civic leaders. The message has been consistent: This region’s growth is real. Healthcare options need to keep pace for our community to continue to thrive and be a place to attract new business and more opportunities for future generations.  

UNC Health’s proposed community hospital for Wilmington is the latest part of our journey as a state-owned, not-for-profit, academic health system with a mandate and commitment to help improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians.   

Since announcing our intent to expand primary and specialty care services, my phone has been ringing nonstop from people in Wilmington and the greater Cape Fear region. The news has been met with excitement as people want more healthcare, more access to primary care and specialty care, and they want a choice, without having to drive two hours for that alternative.   

It’s no surprise that business leaders are among the most enthusiastic. They understand what strong healthcare infrastructure means for talent attraction and regional growth. Here’s why this matters:
 

SUPPLY THAT CAN MEET DEMAND 

Wilmington’s population grew 8.5% from 2020 to 2024, and in the next five to seven years, New Hanover and the surrounding counties will approach a million residents. This growth will require more medical facilities, which is why our state’s own 2026 Medical Facilities Plan highlights a need for 225 additional beds in New Hanover County.   

Furthermore, across our population in Wilmington, adults 65 and older now make up nearly one in five residents. As a community grows older and larger, care needs become increasingly complex. Wouldn’t it be great for our community if there were multiple healthcare systems making investments to build more capacity, to recruit more primary and specialty care physicians and advanced practice providers? The case for a new community hospital here is a recognition of this incredible growth and need that we’ve heard.
 

CHOICE IS GOOD FOR CARE 

Business leaders know that competition leads to better service, higher quality and better outcomes. Healthcare is no different. Before relocating to Wilmington, I was with UNC Health in Wake County, where there were a number of very high-performing healthcare organizations competing, and it certainly made everyone’s service level and quality better, because it had to be. When there’s robust healthcare infrastructure with more doctors being recruited and more services being provided, families have an alternative; businesses can attract more talent and communities grow. That’s what this proposed hospital is about.
  

GREATER COMMUNITY INVESTMENT 

UNC Health’s expansion means a long-term commitment to the Cape Fear region backed by a statewide system. We take a local approach. In plain terms: There are no distant shareholders, just local stakeholders. Every dollar goes back into patient care, research, education and community health. We already run a rural family medicine residency partnership in Pender County, designed to train physicians who stay in underserved areas. We selected our proposed site for the new hospital because it’s centrally located and large enough for future growth. We’re thinking about this for the long term because future generations and businesses need that sort of commitment.
 

ACCOUNTABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY 

Throughout this process, we’ve been guided by residents, business leaders and civic voices across the region. This is an inflection point for Wilmington, and we need to take advantage of this opportunity as a community. Now is the time.   

When I imagine what the future holds, I think of growing families having high-quality obstetrics and gynecology services. Working adults aging well with shorter wait times for cardiology, orthopedics and urology. And in life’s hardest moments – from a cancer diagnosis to an unexpected trip to the emergency department – my neighbors having care close to where they live and work, right here in Wilmington.  

I’m proud to be part of UNC Health and the more than 56,000 teammates providing care from the mountains to the coast. But I’m most excited for the opportunity to bring this care closer to home.  

At the end of the day, this is about the people who live right here – the families building their lives, the seniors aging in place and the workers helping this region grow. Our community deserves a choice for healthcare in the region, and UNC Health promises to grow with you.  

Ernie Bovio is regional president of the southeast coastal market for UNC Health and a Wilmington-area resident.