WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Novant Health\u2019s Coastal Region now generates $4.33 billion in annual economic output, more than triple what it reported a decade ago, according to an updated independent analysis by University of North Carolina Wilmington economist Mouhcine Guettabi.<\/p>\n
The report ties that growth to a fast-expanding, aging population, particularly in Brunswick County, the fastest-growing county in North Carolina and ninth-fastest in the nation.<\/p>\n
By the Numbers70,170 \u2014 residents added across New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties, 2020\u2013202527.8% \u2014 Brunswick County\u2019s population growth, #1 in N.C., #9 in the U.S.2.44 times \u2014 the healthcare demand of adults 65+ compared with working-age adults$4.33 billion \u2014 Novant Health\u2019s annual regional economic output$440.8 million \u2014 capital investment, FY2024\u2013FY202619,573 \u2014 jobs supported through annual operations$1 billion+ \u2014 total investment committed since 2023Why It Matters<\/p>\n
\u201cPopulation growth translates into healthcare demand,\u201d Guettabi said. \u201cThis is really pronounced when growth is driven by people moving from other areas \u2014 and those people tend to be older, because they demand healthcare at a much higher rate.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said older adults spend about $22,000 a year on healthcare, compared with roughly $9,000 for working-age adults, the source of the 2.44 multiplier. Much of the growth is tied to post-pandemic migration from other states. \u201cIt\u2019s half of New Jersey deciding they no longer want to live in the Northeast,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Guettabi warned that healthcare capacity in Brunswick and Pender counties hasn\u2019t kept pace with population growth, even as New Hanover County has seen heavier investment.<\/p>\n
How Novant Health Is Responding<\/p>\n
Laurie Whalin, president of Novant Health Coastal Region, said new investment is targeting Brunswick County specifically, including:<\/p>\n
Leland Medical Center and a new Leland Ambulatory Surgery CenterA new freestanding emergency department in Carolina ShoresExpanded services at Brunswick Medical Center<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout 29% of the discharges we have from New Hanover Regional Medical Center are patients coming from Brunswick County,\u201d Whalin said. \u201cThis is going to allow them to stay there and allow New Hanover Regional to have the capacity it needs for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the past five years, Novant Health has grown its physician workforce by 42% and added 1,200 nurses. Whalin said Brunswick County projects alone could add 1,000-plus jobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re planning today for the growth we\u2019re going to see tomorrow,\u201d Whalin said. \u201cThat\u2019s our goal \u2014 to stay ahead of that growth curve.\u201d<\/p>\n
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