UNC Health Care and Novant Health seek government approval certificates

UNC Health Care and Novant Health are both in the running to receive approval for new expansion projects.

The health care companies applied for certificates of need in November under the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation.

The certificate lends state approval for expansion or renovation projects.

UNC Hospitals is hoping to receive a certificate for a new linear accelerator, a piece of radiation therapy equipment that is used to treat cancer.

DJ Zerman, associate director of planning for UNC Health Care, said hospital officials are optimistic about receiving a certificate, but it’s hard to say how many people the equipment would benefit.

“We’re hopeful,” she said of the anticipated response.

Novant Health has plans to build an outpatient center in Chapel Hill off Europa Drive.

Novant Health representative Katie Gillespie wrote in an e-mail that the company’s physician partners felt the community needed a surgery center and encouraged Novant Health to file the application.

Gillespie said features of the proposed outpatient center include two outpatient general surgery operating rooms, pre- and post-anesthesia recovery areas, sterile processing services on site, one non-surgical procedure room and all associated ancillary and support services.

The projected cost of the Novant project is more than $5 million, she said.

“We have submitted a strong application and are hopeful we will be awarded the certificate of need,” Gillespie said.

If approved, Gillespie said the outpatient center is anticipated to open Jan. 1, 2013, and the company expects the center to make a profit by its third year.

Certificate of Need Analyst Dalizza Marques said the division began reviewing the applications Wednesday and both hospitals should have a definitive answer by the end of April.

Marques said the hospitals will have to show that there is a need for the improvements both within the hospital and the community and that the addition will be financially feasible.

As to whether the hospitals’ requests will be approved, Marques said, “Every case is a case of its own.

“There’s no cookie cutter approach.”

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