High Point Regional Health is looking to expand its operations into Greensboro with plans to build a new freestanding emergency department that would operate under High Point Medical Center. The proposed facility would be called the High Point Medical Center Church Street Satellite Emergency Department, and it represents a significant new investment in area healthcare.
On Friday, Nov. 7 the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services stated that High Point Regional Health has filed a certificate of need application with the state’s Division of Health Service Regulation to construct the new emergency department.
In North Carolina, major healthcare projects like this one can’t move forward until state officials determine there’s a public need for the new facility. The system is designed to prevent unnecessary duplication of services and to make sure that hospitals expand in ways that match community needs.
The proposed Greensboro site would be part of the High Point Medical Center system but physically separate from its main campus. The project carries an estimated price tag of $28.4 million and, if approved, would be completed by January 2028.
While the exact address hasn’t been disclosed, the name indicates it would be located somewhere along or near Church Street in Greensboro.
If approved, the facility would become Greensboro’s fourth emergency department. It would join Cone Health’s existing ERs at Moses Cone Hospital on North Church Street, Wesley Long Hospital on West Friendly Avenue, and the Cone Health MedCenter at Drawbridge Parkway.
Two additional emergency departments have also been proposed by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, though those plans are still in the early stages.
A public hearing on the High Point proposal will be held Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the McGirt-Horton Branch Library at 2501 Phillips Ave. in Greensboro. Residents can attend to comment or simply listen as state regulators consider whether the project meets community needs.
Written comments are also being accepted by the Healthcare Planning and Certificate of Need Section until 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1. Comments can be emailed to DHSR.CON.Comments@dhhs.nc.gov or mailed to 2704 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-2704.
The Rhino Times supports the move since the city is in great need of an additional emergency room. The Emergency Room at Cone Hospital in Greensboro has been the source of news stories for decades about very long wait times endured by patients in need.
The certificate-of-need process dates back decades in North Carolina and has often been the subject of a lot of debate: Supporters say the process helps maintain stability and efficiency in the healthcare system by avoiding wasteful spending on facilities that might not be fully utilized; critics, on the other hand, argue that the requirement can slow innovation and limit competition by making it difficult for new providers to enter the market. Regardless, any major hospital project in the state must go through that process before receiving construction approval.
The push to build new emergency departments comes as Guilford County continues to grow. Population increases, new housing developments and large-scale job creation at places like the Toyota Battery Manufacturing plant near Liberty are expected to bring thousands of new residents to the area over the next several years. So, health systems are positioning themselves now to handle the increased demand for urgent and emergency care that growth will bring.
With Cone Health’s long-established footprint and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist now expanding eastward, Greensboro’s emergency-care landscape is becoming more competitive. The addition of a new stand-alone ER, if approved, would give residents another option for immediate care – and mark the latest sign that Guilford County’s healthcare sector continues to expand along with the population.
A decision from the state on High Point Regional Health’s application is expected sometime in early 2026.
