CaroMont Health announced plans Friday for its second hospital in Gaston County, near Belmont Abbey College.
CaroMont is a regional nonprofit health care system, which operates the main hospital in Gastonia. The system says it wants to build a new $173 million hospital, on land owned by Belmont Abbey Monastery, at I-85 and Route 273.
The proposed CaroMont Regional Medical Center Belmont is part of $325 million in new facilities and improvements planned over the next five years. The system said that's the biggest investment in its history.
CaroMont also wants to upgrade doctors offices in Cramerton, Bessemer City and Gastonia, and add a 50-bed critical care tower at its CaroMont Regional Medical Center in Gastonia.
CaroMont CEO Chris Peek said the new investments are a response to growth in patient visits and population.
"With nearly 250,000 patient encounters every year at CaroMont Regional Medical Center, the hospital has experienced a very steady increase in patient volume over the last several years," Peek said in a press release.
"Coupled with the projected growth of our community and the advancing age of our patient population, the need for hospital-based care continues to rise."
State regulators still must approve a Certificate of Need for the new hospital. CaroMont says it could open as early as 2023.
