Your Voice Matters in Shaping the Future of Health Care in Western North Carolina

Western North Carolina deserves reliable, high-quality care close to home, and people across Buncombe, Madison, Yancey and Graham counties have been clear about what matters most: more choice, more advanced services and a hospital designed to meet the needs of a growing, diverse region. AdventHealth’s 129-bed Certificate of Need (CON) application reflects years of listening to these communities and builds on the approved Weaverville hospital to create the scale needed for a stronger, more comprehensive care option.

These additional beds would support the development of advanced capabilities that families have long needed, including:

• A trauma-capable emergency department to support EMS partners and ensure rapid response for life-threatening emergencies.
• Interventional cardiology, including a cardiac catheterization lab with capacity to grow into higher acuity cardiac services over time.
• A stroke center to support faster diagnosis and treatment, improving outcomes when every minute matters.
• Comprehensive cancer services, including medical and radiation oncology, so patients no longer need to travel past their own community for essential care.
• Expanded mother and baby services, including steps toward advanced neonatal care that keeps fragile newborns and families together.
• A more robust surgical and inpatient platform to serve the region’s growing and aging population.

Together, these capabilities represent the foundation for a new tertiary option in the region that brings advanced care closer to home, reduces long travel distances and supports people with complex and chronic conditions who too often must navigate fragmented care. They also reflect AdventHealth’s belief that every person deserves whole-person care delivered with compassion, clinical excellence and a commitment to strengthening community well-being.

As the state reviews this application, the voices of people in our community play a meaningful role. A public hearing will take place on December 16 at 10 am at AB-Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium, 340 Victoria Road, Asheville, and your participation matters. Whether you choose to speak or simply attend, your presence helps ensure that the region’s needs and hopes are clearly represented in this process.

We invite you to join us, share your perspective and help shape a future where families across Western North Carolina have greater access to the care they deserve. Together, we can support a vision of choice, competition and exceptional whole-person care close to home.