Cape Fear Valley Medical Center was recently recognized as one of 53 hospitals in the country named a “Best Regional Hospital for Equitable Access” by U.S. News & World Report.

“The Best Regional Hospitals for Equitable Access demonstrate by their example that a hospital can both excel in overall quality of care and also provide a substantial amount of that exceptional care to historically underserved communities,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News in a press release. “Recognizing community hospitals that lead in this respect is a modest but necessary step toward ensuring everyone in the U.S. has access to high-quality medical care.”

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center opened in 1956 as a 200-bed county hospital and now includes 544 acute care beds and 78 rehabilitation beds. In the fall, it will complete a $110 million expansion that will add 100 beds and two floors to the Valley Pavilion section of the medical center.

In February 2023, it was announced that the hospital will also be the site of a new medical school in partnership with Methodist University. The new medical school will be an important contributor to the healthcare industry, addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals and improving the quality of healthcare delivery – while also following the mission of providing better medical care for rural and underserved populations and diversifying the physician workforce.

“We’re honored to be included in this new recognition,” said Cape Fear Valley Health CEO Michael Nagowski in a press release. “There are a lot of exciting changes happening on our campus, but this latest recognition is a special acknowledgement of a lot of the work we’re doing that doesn’t typically make headlines. When we say our mission is providing exceptional healthcare for all our patients, the emphasis is on ‘all’ just as much as it is on ‘exceptional.’ That’s what we work toward every day.”