Atrium Health Union West's Expansion to Increase Acute Care Capacity, Enhance Emergency Care Access

Expected to open in fall 2028, the project will expand access to hospital and emergency care for the region's growing population.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 10, 2026 - Atrium Health, which is part of Advocate Health, recently broke ground on a new patient tower at Atrium Health Union West. The major expansion will significantly increase the hospital's capacity by bringing additional inpatient, emergency and procedural services closer to home for residents of Union and southeastern Mecklenburg counties.

The $116 million investment will add more than 67,000 square feet to the hospital, creating capacity for 88 new patient rooms, expanding the emergency department with 11 new bays, adding an endoscopy room and a procedure room, and enhancing access to imaging, ancillary, and support services through additional assets and infrastructure.

"Union County and the surrounding areas continue to grow at an extraordinary pace, and our community deserves access to high-quality care close to home," said Seth Goldwire, president of Atrium Health Union West and Atrium Health Anson. "Not long ago, many residents had to leave the area for hospital care. Today, patients and families can access a wide range of services much closer to where they live. This expansion will help us care for more patients, expand critical services and ensure more families can get the care they need without traveling far from home."

Since opening in February 2022, Atrium Health Union West has offered maternity, emergency, surgical, imaging, laboratory and pharmacy services to residents of Matthews, Union County and neighboring communities. The hospital has served more than 200,000 patients since opening and has seen patient visits increase by 127%, reflecting the community's growing reliance on local healthcare services.

"As both a nurse and a longtime Union County resident, I've seen how important it is for patients and families to have access to care close to home," said Missy Baker, chief nursing officer at Atrium Health Union West, Atrium Health Union and Atrium Health Anson. "Whether someone is facing a medical emergency, welcoming a new baby or managing a serious illness, being able to receive care close to their family and support system can make a meaningful difference. This investment in our community's health will help ensure more people can access the high-quality care they need close to home for years to come."

Atrium Health is partnering with DPR Construction on the project, which is expected to open in fall 2028.

Photos available here.

About Atrium Health

Atrium Health is advancing clinical care and research across the communities it serves by redefining care for all. The care network is anchored by Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, an academic medical center in Charlotte that includes Levine Children's Hospital, Levine Cancer Institute and Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, along with 11 hospitals, more than 900 care locations and over 1,400 physicians serving communities across the greater Charlotte region. It is part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States. Advocate Health is a preeminent academic health system at the forefront of clinical excellence, innovation and research, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as its academic core. Nationally recognized for expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, Advocate Health is also a pioneer in the delivery of virtual health care. It's accelerating discovery by making research participation part of the standard-of-care through its one-of-a-kind National Center for Clinical Trials. Advocate Health has one of the nation's largest graduate medical education programs, with an experiential learning focus and specialized residencies to help protect the long-term sustainability of rural health care in America. Each campus of the school of medicine has an affiliated life-sciences focused innovation district: The Pearl, in Charlotte, and Innovation Quarter, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. With more than 165,000 teammates serving patients at 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations across eight states, Advocate Health reinvests over $6 billion each year to improve community health, making it one of the nation's largest providers of community benefit.