A series of state approvals will greatly benefit one of the Triangle's largest hospital systems as it looks to expand in Wake and Durham counties.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), according to its certificate of need (CON) filings, has approved four different projects – totaling over $12 million – for Duke Health, including two new ambulatory surgical centers, and a diagnostic center.
The system received the green light for the construction of a new gastrointestinal (GI) center with four endoscopy rooms at its planned Green Level expansion in western Wake County.
Its original application with the state stated the center would cost $3.5 million. The approval for the GI center is just one of many regulatory hurdles the health care system has been fighting to fill out its Green Level expansion.
In late August, the system filed an application for two operating rooms to its Green Level Ambulatory Surgery Center, at a cost of $6 million.
The project is competing with both WakeMed and UNC Rex – which both also proposed operating rooms expansion. The battle came on the heels of another, costly, regulatory fight between the three systems over operating room expansions rejected by the state in January -- a settlement was reached August.
As part of the settlement, Duke received permission for just one operating room at Green Level, as well as five procedure rooms.
In addition to Green Level, NCDHHS' most recent approvals included another GI ambulatory surgical facility in North Durham. According to its CON application with the state, the development will also cost $3.5 million.
The pair of GI expansions show an interest in the company's expanding ambulatory GI offerings – a landscape with increasing completion from private practices who claim lower patient costs.
Wake Endoscopy – a fast growing private GI practice in the Triangle, also applied for a GI center in western Wake County alongside Duke's approved project. Its $2.3 million center was approved in August, setting the two centers up to fight over patients in western reaches of the county.
According to the State Medical Facilities Plan, there are currently 46 endoscopy rooms in Wake County, which serviced 84,077 procedures last year.
Duke Health officials declined to comment regarding the approvals or strategic value of the approved projects.
Adding to its list of approvals, NCDHHS approved Duke University hospital to expand its facilities to include 34 more acute care beds, at a cost of $4.7 million. Once complete, the hospital will house 1,062 acute-care beds.
The company also received approval for a $590,000 million diagnostic center by adding mammography to an existing diagnostic facility at Duke Imaging Services on Cary Parkway.
