Novant releases updated Economic Impact Analysis for Cape Fear region
WILMINGTON (WWAY) — As the cape fear region continues to grow, so too does the demand for health care, and health care providers are looking for ways to keep up.
New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties are among the fastest growing counties in North Carolina, while the region is also aging.
Adults 65 and older generate more than twice the health care demand of younger adults — adding to the need for more services as the region’s population ages.
Novant Health says it’s investing in the region to keep up with that demand, generating more than four-point-three billion dollars in annual economic output across the region, according to a recent analysis.
Mouhcine Guettabi with UNCW, who conducted the analysis, says Novant has invested significantly in New Hanover County, but the need is now growing in surrounding counties.
“The pace of growth in Brunswick and Pender has been so large that right now capacity is lagging,” says Guettabi. “To me, it makes the case fairly simple, that a lot of the investment needs to go in the areas that are growing at this pace that is outstripping the health care employment growth.”
Novant Health says the analysis validated the need for strong investments in Brunswick and Pender counties — allowing New Hanover County to grow into the tertiary care center the region needs, while also easing the demand on its health care system.
