Protesters push Novant for progress after another “C” Safety Grade

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– Five years after Novant Health took over New Hanover Regional Medical Center, frustration from some community members is continuing to grow.

On Saturday, dozens of protesters gathered outside the hospital, criticizing the facility after it received another “C” grade in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade rankings.

“They said they would bring it up to a top-quality hospital, national reputation — a center of excellence, and five years later, it’s still getting a C grade in Leapfrog,” said Jon Martell, founder of the Cape Fear Five Star Project.

Martell founded the nonprofit organization two years ago after what he described as a traumatic experience at the hospital during a severe medical emergency. He says Novant Health has not fulfilled the promises he believes were made when the system took over the hospital in 2021.

He is not alone in voicing concerns.

Stephen Agnelli says his frustration became deeply personal after losing his son and nearly losing his wife following separate medical emergencies.

“I lost my son five years ago — it’ll be in July — and then I almost lost my wife. I mean, where does it stop? You’ve got to draw the line somewhere,” Agnelli said.

Agnelli says he believes the issue is not with frontline workers, but with hospital leadership and administration.

Novant Health leaders say they understand the concerns but argue the latest scores do not reflect the hospital’s current performance.

Dr. Heather Davis, chief clinical officer for Novant Health’s coastal region, says internal data shows significant improvements in patient care and communication.

“What we have seen with our patient experience is both our nursing and our MD communication have moved significantly,” Davis said.

Hospital leaders also pointed to a recent improvement in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services star ratings, where the hospital moved from two stars to three stars.

Novant officials say they are also focused on long-term growth, including expanding facilities and preparing for future healthcare demands in the Cape Fear region.

Laurie Whalin, president of Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, says UNCW’s proposed medical programs could help strengthen the local physician pipeline.

“When you look at data, if you have a medical school and then somebody goes to medical school local and then goes to residency, they’re like 80% likely to stay in the community,” Whalin said. “So, I think that’s only going to add to the medical community and have the providers we need to take care of the population growth that we have.”