NHRMC President Ernie Bovio discusses current and future plans for the hospital

NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) — Ernie Bovio has been on the job as President of Novant New Hanover Regional Medical Center and the health system’s coastal region since late January.

Bovio brings more than a quarter-century of experience to his new job, including his previous role as head of UNC Health’s Triangle East Region. He said this new opportunity was something he couldn’t pass up.

“I was attracted to Novant Health’s reputation for performance in terms of quality, safety and patient experience. I’m also interested in their commitment to this region in terms of building capacity and creating access and growing and expanding critical services, that’s very exciting to me,” Bovio said.

That growth is something Bovio said he plans to build on, expanding Novant’s facilities in the City of Wilmington, Brunswick and Pender Counties are at this top of his list. But with that rapid expansion, comes the need for nurses and staff.

“We are making a lot of progress recruiting nurses, recruiting other health care providers. We’re probably going to be bringing in 25 to 30 new physicians every year, both primary care and specialty care. We’ve recently committed $10 million to partner with UNCW and with Cape Fear Community College to collect scholarships for aspiring healthcare professionals,” said Bovio.

Bovio said he hopes to continue to build relationships and expand within the community to provide the best services possible.