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Deadline Arrives for Acute Bed Expansion Plans in North Carolina

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Deadline Arrives for Acute Bed Expansion Plans in North Carolina


Wednesday marks the deadline for health systems to submit proposals for an acute bed expansion in North Carolina.  

Four major North Carolina health systems are vying to build or expand hospitals in Buncombe County. AdventHealth, Mission Health, Novant Health and UNC Health have all expressed interest in bids.  

Why It Matters 

Whichever health system wins the bid will be able to expand its area of care to the region. This area covers 23 counties, including Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Jackson. Western North Carolina is a mountain region with a population of about 1.15 million people, accounting for about 11 percent of the state’s total population.  

What To Know 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) included a need for 129 acute care beds in Buncombe County in 2025 in its latest State Medical Facilities Plan (SMFP).  

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UNC Health told Newsweek on Wednesday that it submitted a plan with the state’s Certificate of Need office to develop UNC Health West Medical Center (UNC Health West), a new, 129-bed community hospital in Buncombe County.  

The new facility plan includes emergency care, labor and delivery services, inpatient acute care and adult psychiatry services. 

“UNC Health West builds on UNC Health Pardee’s record of public service and proven experience and dedication to the western region and UNC Health’s commitment to the health and wellness of our state, resulting in increased access and improved care for the residents of Buncombe and surrounding counties,” UNC Health told Newsweek.  

Novant Health announced in September that it submitted its proposal to build a hospital in western North Carolina.  

The plan includes acute care beds, an emergency room, imaging and pharmacy services.  

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“We remain deeply committed to extending high-quality, compassionate care to Western North Carolina,” a Novant Health spokesperson told Newsweek. “Over the past year, we’ve worked closely with the community and local physicians to grow our specialty care network in the region and have applied for a 34-bed hospital in Buncombe County.”

Novant is based in Winston-Salem and has 19 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient locations and physicians’ clinics in North Carolina and South Carolina. 

Mission Health, part of HCA Healthcare, expressed its plan to apply for the 129 beds, confirming the plan to the Asheville Watchdog earlier this month.  

AdventHealth has also thrown its hat in the ring. The health system said in July that this expansion “reflects the voices of the community and AdventHealth’s commitment to delivering more access, more choice, and more whole-person care to Western North Carolina.” 

“This hospital is more than a location—it is a vision,” Brandon Nudd, president and CEO for AdventHealth Hendersonville and AdventHealth Polk, said in a statement. “It is a promise to Western North Carolina that more not-for-profit, whole-person care is not only coming but also evolving. These additional beds will allow us to meet the growing needs of our region and deliver the high-acuity, compassionate care our communities deserve.” 

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AdventHealth is also building a hospital in Weaverville, North Carolina. This facility was approved by the NCDHHS in 2022 after the North Carolina State Medical Facilities Plan listed a need for 67 acute care beds to serve Buncombe, Graham, Madison and Yancey Counties.  

Mission Health/HCA appealed the decision, leading to a legal battle in 2023 that has delayed the process. In November 2024, AdventHealth announced that the state approved an additional 26 beds for the Weaverville location.  

What Happens Next  

Per North Carolina’s Certificate of Need (CON) program, the major health construction projects require state approval.  DHSR has from 90 to 150 days to review a CON application. Each application is reviewed against the review criteria in the CON Law and any applicable rules adopted by DHSR.  

The review process will begin in November. 

Newsweek reached out to AdventHealth and Mission Health for comment.

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Have an announcement or news to share? Contact the Newsweek Health Care team at health.care@newsweek.com.



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Experienced former North Carolina tight end signs with Auburn

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Experienced former North Carolina tight end signs with Auburn


Auburn’s latest incoming transfer brings experience and production to what was a position of weakness last season.

Former North Carolina tight end Jake Johnson signed with Auburn on Saturday, a source confirmed to AL.com. Johnson is the third transfer tight end Auburn has signed since the portal opened, joining Jonathan Echols and Xavier Newsom.

Johnson, however, is the most proven of Auburn’s signees at tight end. He brings four years of experience at North Carolina and Texas A&M, catching 16 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown in 2025.

His best season came with the Aggies in 2023, during which he caught 24 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, he brings versatility to Auburn’s tight end room and may be the best pass catching option.

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With Johnson now signed, Auburn’s tight end room is now up to five players, putting the Tigers in a good spot going into the 2026 season.

The transfer portal officially opened on Jan. 2 and will remain open until Jan. 16. Keep up with all of Auburn’s incoming and outgoing transfers here.



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2 Important Keys to North Carolina Entering Wake

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2 Important Keys to North Carolina Entering Wake


Saturday is a monumental game for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are coming off an embarrassing defensive performance against the SMU Mustangs last weekend. Boopie Miller and the Mustangs dominated the tempo of the game, leading to a 97-83 win over the Tar Heels.

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North Carolina will be hosting the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Dean E. Smith Center on Saturday night. The Tar Heels enter this contest with a 13-2 overall record and a 1-1 conference record. Meanwhile, Wake Forest owns a 10-6 overall record and a 1-1 conference record.

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With that brief preview, let’s take a look at a couple of keys to the game that will be deciphering factors in the outcome of this matchup.

Can North Carolina Bounce Back Defensively?

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Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs guard Boopie Miller (2) drives to the basket past North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) during the second half at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

While speaking with the media on Friday during his press conference, head coach Hubert Davis explained what he saw on film against SMU, and how that will be the main message heading into Saturday.

  • “Obviously, disappointed defensively,” Davis said. “It was just a number of things. I mean, it was on transition, one-on-one, not boxing out at times, not talking and communicating the right way, discipline, shot fake, stay down, putting guys at the free throw line. And so, I was really excited about this week not having a midweek game, to actually have practice. To practice on us, as opposed to preparing for Wake Forest until the latter part of the week. So, I felt like it was a perfect time not to have a midweek game, to be able to get to practice and start doing fundamentally the things that have allowed us all year to be a pretty good defensive team.”

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Jan 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Juke Harris (2) with a lay up defended by Virginia Tech Hokies guard Jailen Bedford (0) during the first half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Wake Forest’s top offensive weapon is Juke Harris, who is averaging 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc.

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Last week, the Tar Heels struggled against their opponent’s best player, but Harris and Miller are drastically different players, so North Carolina may be able to contain the 6-foot-7, 200-pound guard more sufficiently. Nonetheless, the Tar Heels’ perimeter defense has to be stellar to win comfortably.

Backcourt Production Has to be Noticeable

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Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) looks to move the ball past SMU Mustangs guard B.J. Edwards (0) during the game between the Mustangs and the Tar Heels at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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We already know that Seth Trimble will do his part, but someone between Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, and Derek Dixon have to step up with an efficient performance. The trio has been extremely underwhelming for the majority of the season, especially Evans and Bogavac.

For Evans and Bogavac to find sustain success and confidence, a strong outing will go a long way in that regard. Saturday is an important game for the Tar Heels’ guard who need to show a sign of life with conference play heating up.

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North Carolina confirms 5th measles case as South Carolina’s outbreak surges

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North Carolina confirms 5th measles case as South Carolina’s outbreak surges


As of Friday, Jan. 9, there are a total of 310 measles cases in South Carolina, mostly in Spartanburg County, including 99 new cases since Tuesday, according to S.C. health officials.

North Carolina is also dealing with measles, with a case recently confirmed on Friday in Rutherford County. This raises the state’s total to five cases since late December, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).

While the number of measles cases in western North Carolina is in single digits, health officials are warning the public about just how quickly and easily it can spread, along with several other illnesses.

Health officials continue to remain focused on stopping it from spreading.

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NEW MEASLES CASE CONFIRMED IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY; 5TH CASE IN NORTH CAROLINA SINCE DECEMBER

“Currently, we do not have a community spread of measles in Buncombe County. The cases that we’ve had have been connected to the South Carolina outbreak that is right across the state line,” said Buncombe County Public Health Director Dr. Ellis Matheson.

The measles case in Polk County, confirmed on Dec. 31, 2025, was the first in N.C. believed to be linked to the S.C. outbreak, after an unvaccinated child traveled to Spartanburg County, as News 13 previously reported. The next three WNC measles occurrences, which NCDHHS announced on Jan. 6, were siblings in Buncombe County who also traveled to Spartanburg County.

Measles continues to be an issue in North Carolina.

JAN. 6, 2026 – A flyer in Buncombe County warning of illness symptoms amid three confirmed measles cases in the county. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff)

In Friday’s case update, Matheson said if you feel like you’ve been exposed and are already experiencing symptoms, let the clinic or hospital know before coming in.

“Please call ahead so that we can really reduce any potential exposures to possible measles,” Matheson said.

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If you haven’t been vaccinated but have been exposed, Dr. Matheson added that even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms, you’re being asked to quarantine for 21 days from the date of exposure.

NC HEALTH OFFICIALS URGE VACCINES AMID MEASLES AND RESPIRATORY ILLNESS SURGE

She’s also encouraging those who were exposed to measles on January 4 between 2 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. at Mission Hospital’s Emergency Department waiting room to contact them right away.

“We are in general seeing community spread of both varicella and whooping cough,” Matheson said.

As for chickenpox, outbreaks have not spread to additional schools, but community spread has continued, including an outbreak at Fairview Elementary School, which is why she’s encouraging everyone to take steps in prevention.

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“So once again, I would just strongly encourage that people are making sure that they are up to date on recommended vaccines for everything that we have vaccines for,” Matheson said.

Buncombe County health officials are holding free vaccine clinics every week. For more information or if you want to book ahead, call (828) 250-6100.



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