Novant provides update at New Hanover Commissioners meeting

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– Since Novant’s partnership with New Hanover Regional Medical Center, there have been numerous complaints from patients, and even staff members about the quality and timeliness of care at Novant’s hospitals. 

Novant says it is aware of these issues, and provided New Hanover County Commissioners an update on its plans to address them at their meeting Monday morning.  

“They assured that going forward, that they would continue to make the investments, and to make the hospital the best it could possibly be,” said New Hanover County Commissioner, Rob Zapple. 

The health agency says its primary reason for undesirable emergency room experiences is staffing issues.   

Novant’s plan to increase nursing staff is to ramp up the number of nurses graduating from local colleges by offering scholarships and upgrading those facilities. It hopes to help colleges like Cape Fear Community College graduate 100 more nursing students per class over the next few years.   

“A lot of them are going to need scholarships, and Novant Health has already committed two-million dollars to help with additional scholarships. We want to continue to work with our community partners to grow that amount of money, because it’s going to take us years to grow these programs and get out of this staffing shortage,”  said Novant Health’s Coastal Region President, Shelbourn Stevens.  

Another goal Novant has set is to improve its facilities region wide. Namely, specialty care. 

Stevens says it has money set aside that it will use to increase and improve services for the entire coastal region.