MARTIN COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) – Residents packed the room during Wednesday night’s commissioner meeting to hear a proposal by ECU Health on a future plan for the closed down Martin General Hospital.
The hospital closed its doors in 2023.
“I’ll tell ya, I spend a lot of time in our communities,” Dr. Michael Waldrum, ECU Health’s CEO said. “I think that rural health care is undergoing a crisis and the only way to deal with it is to be in rural communities and to talk about these issues together.”
ECU Health shared the proposal last month, saying that it’s a non-binding proposal that’s up for consideration by the Martin County Board of Commissioners.
The proposal suggests two key contingencies that would rely heavily on state support:
- State financial support to transition the Rural Emergency Hospital to a newly-constructed Rural Care Center, given the age and condition of the existing facility.
- State financial support to modernize and expand inpatient capacity at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital – a Hill-Burton Act facility built in 1958, which is critical given the Rural Emergency Hospital model proposed for Martin County cannot have inpatient beds.
To create sustainable health care in Martin County, Waldrum says the investment needed is $70 million from the state to build a future rural care center, as well as another $150 million to expand inpatient capacity at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital.
The proposal comes after the commissioners passed a resolution of intent to lease, sell or convey Martin General earlier this year.
“We’ve been talking with the state, and the importance of rural health care for the state and fortunately our legislators understand the issues of rural health care,” Waldrum said. “They’ve taken action a few years ago in the budget and appropriated funds and we worked with the state and state organizations to develop a plan and this was part of the plan.”
During public comment, residents such as BJ Warren, a resident and nurse who used to work at Martin General Hospital thanked commissioners and shared their feelings of hope.
“It’s very encouraging,” she said. “I’m very excited about good things that are going to come with ECU. We definitely need health care in our community and it seems to be a positive step in the right direction.”
Eastern Carolina lawmakers shared that funding for this plan is in the works.
“Funding for this and anything else that we’re trying to do is part of the budget process,” Rep. Shelly Willingham said. “We’re in that process now. Senators passed a budget, the House just passed a budget, so we’re getting together and conference committee will be appointed, and then we’ll come up with whatever that final figure is going to be. We know what that final figure is going to be, but we want to know that money is going to be spent.”
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