3 min read May 2024 — In an interview with Invest:, Cory Hess, president and CEO of Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital, discussed the hospital’s recent achievements, key initiatives, and strategies for improving healthcare in Harnett County. He highlighted the hospital’s growth, technological advancements, and commitment to community health and education.
In the past year, what have been some significant achievements for Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital?
Betsy Johnson, now a part of the Cape Fear Valley health system following a merger, includes two hospitals: Betsy Johnson in Dunn and Central Harnett Hospital in Lillington. We offer various outpatient services and clinics across the county. Our area, Harnett County, is rapidly growing, becoming a bedroom community for Raleigh, with thousands of homes being built.
We’ve also partnered with the county to acquire the remaining property on the CHH campus in Lillington, now owning about 50 acres. This acquisition positions us well for future growth and meeting the community’s expanding needs. We’re in the planning stages of an adolescent behavioral health facility, an inpatient unit, which is much needed not just here but statewide and nationally.
What are some of the key healthcare initiatives and projects that Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital has undertaken recently
We’ve been fortunate to bring in specialist providers and open additional primary care offices. Currently, our focus is on a project in Lillington, on the Central Harnett campus. We’re constructing a 70,000-square-foot cancer center and medical office building, with the bottom floor dedicated to the cancer center and the top two floors for medical office space that should be completed by the end of 2024. This includes adding oncological radiation capabilities, like a linear accelerator.
The cancer center is progressing well, with an estimated completion by the end of next summer. We plan to have the building fully operational and moved in by the end of next year.
Soon we’ll also break ground on the behavioral health facility. We’re very excited about these developments.
What strategies are you implementing to attract and retain skilled healthcare professionals?
COVID and hyperinflation caused labor shortages, making it tough to hire qualified healthcare workers nationwide. Luckily, our location near Raleigh and Harnett County’s affordability attracts healthcare staff. Our family-oriented community health system appeals to many staff members dedicated to their community, aiding staff retention during hard times.
We’re addressing immediate labor issues and long-term solutions through education. Also, we’re partnering with Methodist University to establish a new medical school in Fayetteville, the seventh or eighth in the state, offering a four-year MD program at Cape Fear Valley.
We also work with Campbell University’s medical school in Harnett County. Harnett Health and Cape Fear Valley, as teaching institutions, have about 300 residents in Harnett Health and CFV combined, and regular student rotations. These educational programs are vital, particularly in rural areas with doctor shortages. Many providers who have trained here often stay, contributing to our high rate of hiring our graduates. The new medical school — the 7th in the state — should further improve our ability to attract and retain healthcare professionals.
How are you integrating new technologies or approaches to improve patient outcomes and efficiency?
Cape Fear Valley adopted the EPIC electronic medical records system in October 2022, widely used across the United States, and especially in our state. This system has greatly benefited patients with features like telehealth, direct communication, and online scheduling and test result access.
We’ve also introduced a network where all our health system’s equipment communicates with each other, leading to automatic updates and a boost in provider efficiency. Another notable addition is an orthopedic robot for robotic total joint procedures, operated by a provider trained at Campbell Medical School.
Our focus on technology is central to our future strategy, with significant investments in systems that improve data access for providers and enhance patient record sharing. AI integration is also underway. Telehealth capabilities are a key area of development, especially for services like telepsychiatry, crucial in our community with its psychiatry deficit and transportation challenges. This aligns with our goal to expand care to more patients, particularly in rural areas.
What role does the hospital play in community health and wellness?
We strongly partner with Campbell University, focusing on community education and indigent care. We collaborate with their medical school and population health program, actively participating in community projects. Our providers oversee the local health department and contribute to an opioid task force, creating a comprehensive plan to tackle the opioid crisis.
As a teaching hospital, we involve students in community education, with providers giving presentations on health topics like diabetes and cardiac care. We’re also organizing a symposium on Medicaid expansion in collaboration with the Department of Social Services.
Every three years, we conduct a countywide needs assessment with Campbell University, identifying community health needs and planning to address them. We prioritize primary care, aiming to prevent illnesses and reduce hospital visits. To combat provider shortages and improve access, especially in rural areas, we’re expanding clinics, including doubling the size of our Angier clinic and opening new locations. Our focus is on matching community growth with increased primary care services.
What is your outlook for the healthcare industry and your main priorities in the near term?
I foresee normalization in staffing within the healthcare industry. Organizations like Cape Fear and ours are investing in local universities and community colleges to help increase class sizes, addressing the staffing challenge. Our industry requires certified, licensed professionals, so it’s crucial to boost the workforce supply.
In Harnett County, we’re fortunate. The county’s success in attracting businesses and residents means growth for our health system, which is a challenge but also an exciting opportunity to serve a larger community. While many rural health systems are closing, we are expanding and adding value to our growing community.
Our partnership with Cape Fear Valley is vital. As a rural health system, the cost of our future plans would have been prohibitive alone. Cape Fear Valley’s significant investment demonstrates its commitment to local healthcare delivery. They prefer treating patients in Harnett County rather than transferring them elsewhere, which is a significant benefit for our community and a point of pride for us.
For more information, visit:
https://myharnetthealth.org/about-hhs/betsy-johnson-hospital/
