A proposed acute care hospital will improve access to patient-centered, non-profit care in Buncombe County and across the region
- UNC Health is proposing a hospital, UNC Health West, in Buncombe County, pending regulatory approvals. This expansion will be a partnership between UNC Health Pardee and UNC Health and support patients across the region.
- The proposed hospital will have 92 beds and offer a comprehensive range of services, including emergency care, intensive care, neonatology, labor and delivery, cardiology, gastroenterology, radiology, psychiatry, speech pathology, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
- UNC Health’s investment builds on the high-quality care provided at a wide range of hospitals and clinics across Western North Carolina, from UNC Health Pardee to UNC Health Blue Ridge, UNC Health Caldwell, UNC Health Appalachian and others.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – June 18, 2026 – UNC Health, North Carolina’s state-owned, not-for-profit academic health system, is announcing plans to expand access to care in Buncombe County and across Western North Carolina with an acute care hospital, pending regulatory approvals. This proposal is designed around what residents have asked for: more choice, shorter wait times, and patient-centered care close to home.
“UNC Health has a strong foundation of clinical care and education in Western North Carolina, and we are so grateful for the trust placed in us by patients across the state,” said Dr. Cristy Page, CEO of UNC Health. “As these communities grow, our goal is to grow along with them to ensure increased access to care, closer to home, from the state’s public, academic health system.”
The proposed hospital would be located in Asheville near Westgate Mall and Patton Avenue, and increase local access to a comprehensive range of services, including emergency care, intensive care, neonatology, labor and delivery, cardiology, gastroenterology, radiology, psychiatry, speech pathology, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
Since 2011, UNC Health has served Western North Carolina through UNC Health Pardee, a trusted community hospital in Hendersonville. Further, the UNC Health Sciences Asheville campus at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) is where the next generation of physicians, pharmacists and dentists are trained to serve Western North Carolina communities. This longstanding investment in local healthcare education means more clinicians who learn here, stay here, and serve the patients of this region for years to come.
“This is an important next step in deepening UNC Health’s long-standing investment in this community and ensuring that all families in Western North Carolina have the best comprehensive, coordinated, and patient-centered care they deserve – regardless of zip code,” said Jay Kirby, President and CEO of UNC Health Pardee.
As North Carolina’s state-owned health system serving patients from all 100 counties, UNC Health’s proposal reflects its broader mission to improve the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. The health system’s not-for-profit model focuses on expanding access to care, investing in the healthcare workforce, and advancing research that directly benefits the communities it serves, in this case, Buncombe, Clay, Graham, Madison and Yancey County.
Hospitals are one of the myriad of tools and facilities utilized in delivering on a broader commitment to expanding care in Western North Carolina. UNC Health is proposing this hospital through North Carolina’s Certificate of Need (CON) process, which ensures healthcare investments are aligned with community needs. Today’s announcement comes as UNC Health continues to appeal the 2025 CON decision related to Buncombe County. Depending on the outcome of the 2025 appeal and the 2026 CON review process, UNC Health would ultimately develop only one acute care hospital should it receive approval through either process. Additional facilities, which do not require a Certificate of Need, are also being contemplated as part of the broader commitment. UNC Health will continue to engage openly with local community leaders and residents and share updates as plans evolve and progress is made towards achieving CON approval.
To learn more about UNC Health’s vision for the region, visit YourCareinWNC.com.
About UNC Health
UNC Health is North Carolina’s state owned, academic health system, dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all North Carolinians through patient care, education, research, and community engagement. With a statewide network of 20 hospitals, hundreds of clinics, and an affiliation with the UNC School of Medicine, UNC Health serves communities across the state with a mission-driven, not-for-profit approach focused on quality, access, and innovation.