Cape Fear Valley Health is expanding the Emergency Department at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, including 24 additional beds in the dedicated Pediatric Emergency Department as part of continued investments designed to meet the needs of a growing community. 

The expansion responds to patient volumes that frequently exceed the department’s current capacity. Based on current trends, Cape Fear Valley Health expects to see approximately 123,000 to 124,000 patients in its adult and pediatric emergency departments in 2026. The Emergency Department serves a six-county catchment area, including Cumberland and surrounding counties such as Bladen, Hoke, Harnett and Robeson.

The department’s current all-inclusive average wait time is about four hours, and Cape Fear Valley Health’s goal is to reduce waits to less than one hour. The department also reports an admission rate of approximately 30% to 35%, reflecting the high-acuity needs of many patients it treats.

The project includes expanded waiting areas on both the adult and pediatric sides, renovations to patient and visitor bathrooms, and other facility improvements designed to increase capacity and enhance the patient and family experience. The Pediatric Emergency Department, anticipated to open in 2028, will provide a larger, dedicated environment designed specifically for children and their families. The additional space will allow Cape Fear Valley Health to better accommodate pediatric emergency volumes while keeping pediatric care separate from the busy adult emergency care environment.

“This expansion is about making sure we have the space and resources to continue meeting the emergency care needs of our community as it grows,” said Daniel Weatherly, Chief Executive Officer of Cape Fear Valley Health. “The additional 24-beds in the Pediatric Emergency Department will give children and their families a dedicated environment designed around their needs while expanding our capacity to meet future demand for pediatric emergency services.”

Improvements are also underway on the adult side of the Emergency Department. The expanded waiting area will provide additional space and is planned to include semi-private areas where patients and visitors can have more privacy while remaining visible to staff. The project also includes expanded triage space and dedicated lab and EKG rooms, which will help teams begin and complete testing in designated areas. Bathroom renovations and other facility updates will further improve the environment for patients and visitors.

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center’s Emergency Department will remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout construction, and emergency care will continue without interruption.

Patients and visitors may notice temporary changes to entrances, waiting areas or traffic patterns as different phases of construction are completed. Registration and triage locations may also change during construction. Cape Fear Valley Health is working with its marketing team to provide signage and updates to help patients and visitors navigate affected areas.

“These improvements are about more than adding space,” Weatherly said. “They are an investment in our patients, our families and our community and will allow us to provide emergency care in an environment that better supports the people we serve today while preparing us for continued growth in the future.”

The Emergency Department expansion is part of Cape Fear Valley Health’s continued investment in facilities, services and infrastructure throughout the health system. While the project is driven by community need, expanded and updated spaces may also support the health system’s efforts to grow and retain medical professionals in the region as the new medical school develops.

These improvements will give the hospital’s teams an environment that better supports the care they provide every day. Every decision made in Emergency Services comes back to how to best care for patients.

Cape Fear Valley Health will continue to share updates as construction progresses and additional spaces and services become available.