A major driver of the Cabarrus County economy and a key component in its outstanding quality of life is Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast. A 457-bed medical complex and Level III trauma center, it treats more than 85,000 patients annually and includes an extensive inpatient and outpatient network of services, including 30 outpatient clinics.

The parent company of CMC-NorthEast, Carolinas HealthCare System, has broken ground on a $17 million, 26,000-square-foot emergency department in Kannapolis that will be equipped with 10 walk-in treatment bays and two observation rooms. The freestanding emergency department will be called Carolinas Medical Center-Kannapolis and will operate as an extension of the existing emergency department at CMC-NorthEast in Concord. 

The emergency department will also offer radiology services that include X-rays, ultrasounds and computerized tomography as well as an on-site laboratory. The one-story Kannapolis site will be located off an exit of Interstate 85 and is expected to open in fall 2011.

Kannapolis ER Offers Advantages

Though CMC-Kannapolis will offer emergency services, it will not have operating rooms or a surgical staff. Emergency department patients who need surgery or other advanced treatment will be transported to CMC-NorthEast.

“A freestanding emergency department can be built at a fraction of the cost of a small community hospital,” says Joseph Piemont, president and CEO of Carolinas HealthCare System. “And by being located closer to the population being served, they offer great advantages in terms of access and convenience.” 
Piemont says new facilities like CMC-Kannapolis are destined to be successful because they fill an important niche in individual communities.

“They offer significant breadth and sophistication by offering 24-hour service, seven days a week, from board-certified emergency trained physicians,” he says.

CMC-NorthEast Serves Six Counties

CMC-NorthEast has 300 physicians on staff and employs more than 4,200 people. Its service area covers not only Cabarrus County’s 175,000 residents but also patients from five other counties.

“We are very committed to expanding the level of care available to people in surrounding communities,” says Phyllis Wingate-Jones, top administrative executive at CMC-NorthEast. “This is borne out by the many improvements currently under way at CMC-Northeast, and by initiatives that facilitate top-quality medical attention that is both life-saving and convenient.”

CMC-NorthEast became a member of the Carolinas HealthCare System in 2007. It was previously known as NorthEast Medical Center, with roots in Cabarrus County dating back to 1937. CMC-NorthEast is home to Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital, Batte Cancer Center, Cannon Heart Center, Diagnostic Imaging Center, Emergency Care Center, Mariam Cannon Hayes Family Center and the Surgery Center.

CMC-Northeast

457
Licensed beds

12
Surgical operating rooms

85,000
Patients treated annually

4,200
Employees