CaroMont Health opens new hospital in Belmont to address growing healthcare needs

BELMONT — CaroMont Health opened a new hospital on Wednesday in Belmont, which is located off Interstate 85 at Exit 27.

Officials at CaroMont said the eastern part of Gaston County is growing the fastest, which is why the opening of the hospital in Belmont was crucial.

The first patient walked through the doors at CaroMont Regional Medical Center in Belmont just after 8 a.m.

CaroMont Health President and CEO of CaroMont Health Chris Peek said the facility has a lot to offer and a big highlight is the emergency department.

The ER at CaroMont’s main hospital in Gastonia is at capacity with 400 patients visiting daily, he said.

“Usually, in the top five busiest emergency departments in the state of North Carolina, so adding this additional emergency department, we hope will reduce wait times and sort of spread out that department,” Peek said.

Officials learned a lot from the pandemic, he said.

The hospital in Belmont has 54 licensed inpatient beds.

The facility has negative-pressure rooms for patients with a respiratory virus, which is a system that confines the air to that room so no one else can get infected.

“We would be very prepared for that with a flip of a switch,” Peek said.

Another major addition is the labor and delivery floor, which could see its first baby any day now.

“With all the extra houses (in Belmont), which are lot of, all of sudden, we have to have that. We need a hospital,” said resident Monte Stratton.

Stratton said he has lived in Belmont for nearly 20 years and must travel to Gastonia for healthcare.

He is glad that he has more options now.

“I’ve had knee replacements there,” he said. “My heart doctor is up that way so I’m hoping some of those doctors trickle down to Belmont.”

CaroMont’s Gastonia campus will remain a Trauma Level III Center and will still take the most patients with critical needs.

Most emergencies can go to Belmont.

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