Duke And CaroMont Plan Two Charlotte Hospitals, Challenging Atrium And Novant
By Zac Ezzone – Reporter, Triangle Business Journal
Duke Health aims to expand its reach in the Charlotte region with two proposed hospitals as part of a joint venture with CaroMont Health.
The health systems plan to file certificate of need applications this week for a combined 200 acute care beds in Mecklenburg County. The proposals mark Duke’s latest effort to expand across North Carolina, following its acquisition of a hospital in Mooresville in 2025 and an unsuccessful bid with Novant Health to develop a hospital in Mebane.
The plans include a 120-bed hospital in the University City area in northeast Charlotte and an 80-bed facility in the River District area west of the city. If approved, the hospitals could open in 2031.
The health systems said they selected the proposed locations to bring more advanced health care services closer to growing population centers outside of central Charlotte.
“These facilities will allow us to provide that same advanced care around the perimeter and closer to where people live,” said CaroMont Health CEO Chris Peek.
Duke Health and CaroMont Health said the hospitals would be owned and operated by a newly formed company that is equally owned and jointly governed by the systems. Both organizations would otherwise remain independent, with their existing operations continuing separately.
The health systems are still finalizing specific financial and operational aspects of the partnership, including staffing, financing and how the proposed hospitals will operate, officials said.
State records show the formation of a new business entity, CHDH Ventures LLC, created this month and listing the same address as CaroMont Regional Medical Center in Gastonia.
Duke Health and CaroMont Health officials said the entity is associated with the new partnership, but is not intended to serve as its public-facing name.
“Naming and branding for the new company and hospitals will be developed as the projects move through the CON review and planning process, and we’ll share those details when they are finalized,” officials said.
The systems did not disclose expected costs for the hospitals, which, alongside other project details, will be included in the applications submitted to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Applications for the Mecklenburg County beds are due Thursday.
The applications are in response to the 2026 State Medical Facilities Plan, which identified a need for 389 acute care beds in Mecklenburg County. Duke Health and CaroMont Health are likely to face competition for the beds, as Atrium Health and Novant Health operate the only licensed acute care beds in the county.
Beyond its three hospitals in the Triangle, Duke Health operates Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital, which it acquired in 2025 for $284 million. Also in 2025, Duke Health filed an application with Novant Health to build a hospital in Alamance County, but the partners lost out to a competing proposal from Cone Health.
Duke Health CEO Dr. David Zaas, who joined the system in May, said about 30% of Duke Health’s patients travel from outside of the Triangle to receive care at the system’s facilities.
“Expanding our facilities into other areas across the state really is foundational to helping us continue to grow and meet the needs of those patients closer to where they live,” Zaas said.
Duke Health outlined its broader growth goals in a public bond filing last year. The goals include extending its healthcare services to 25% of the state’s population and increasing annual revenue to more than $20 billion, according to the filing. During fiscal year 2026, which ended in June, Duke Health generated $8.41 billion in total revenue, up from $7.28 billion the previous year.
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