Investing in healthcare during a pandemic
CaroMont Health’s hospital under construction along I-85 in Belmont is a visible sign of a broad partnership struck during the COVID-19 pandemic – a response by Belmont Abbey College, its community of Benedictine monks, CaroMont and Gaston County to meet the rising demand for nurses and other healthcare professionals in the Charlotte region. (Photos provided by Belmont Abbey College)BELMONT — As you drive on Interstate 85 nearing the intersection of N.C. 73, it’s impossible to miss a mile-long fence banner that announces “CaroMont Health and Belmont Abbey College: The Future of Health Care.”
The banner announcing CaroMont Health’s new $300 million hospital is a visible sign of a broad partnership struck during the COVID-19 pandemic – a response by Belmont Abbey College, its community of Benedictine monks and CaroMont Health to meet the rising demand for nurses and other healthcare professionals in the Charlotte region.
The hospital, expected to be completed by mid-2023, is being built on land that it is leasing from the monks at Belmont Abbey College. That’s the main headline in this ambitious story, but it’s far from the only one.
The hospital is the latest move in Belmont Abbey College’s long-term plan to train medical professionals who can staff the new hospital as well as other local healthcare providers. The college has created new degree programs in nursing (beginning this fall) and health care management (launched in the fall 2021) that will help provide trained medical professionals for the hospital in the future. A central pillar of the effort also involves keeping Gaston County students here to serve their community for years to come.
The most important aspect of the partnership “that I’ve seen is the investment of the entire community, and not just the college or the monastic community,” said Dr. Bill Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College. “It’s even the greater community around us in Gaston County and Belmont specifically. It’s been exciting to see everybody coming together to collaborate.”
Gaston County high schools help identify students interested in health sciences, and Gaston Community College offers more technical degree programs such as ultrasound. Belmont Abbey College will now offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees to help even more students enter the medical field.
“It’s almost like a pipeline being built that will allow the residents of Gaston County to stay and actually serve their community by working in the hospital that is being built here,” Thierfelder said. “This a proverbial win-win-win.”
Genesis Of A Big Idea
Thierfelder formed a friendship with CaroMont Health President Chris Peek through the years. The duo meet for lunch every month, according to Thierfelder, and about two years ago Peek surprised him by asking, “What do you think about building a hospital on your campus?”
His response with a laugh was, “Where do we get the shovels?”
Thierfelder later proposed the idea to Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari, who oversees the Southern Benedictine Association (SBA). The SBA is a separate corporate entity from the college for the monastic community at Belmont Abbey. SBA owns all of the land Belmont Abbey College sits on and the college itself, along with the many buildings on campus.
Abbot Placid noted that SBA’s negotiations with CaroMont Health mandated religious and ethical guidelines from a Catholic health care perspective as part of the lease agreement.
“We insisted that those be part of the ground lease,” Abbot Placid said. “The exclusion of elective abortions and sterilizations, any type of euthanasia or assisted dying goes with the lease. That was a necessary condition for us to lease the property for a hospital, and they agreed to that.”
Abbot Placid touched on a common misconception that exists about funding for Belmont Abbey College, founded by the Benedictine community in 1876. Many people think a private Catholic institution, which gets no government or tax support, is supported by the Catholic Church.
“It’s actually supported by the monastery,” he said.
That’s why the SBA’s leasing of land – as opposed to selling it – is critical to both the monastic community and the college. It serves as the lifeblood not only for long-term stability, but for a flourishing future at the Benedictine college.
“The reason for the development of the land is ultimately to ensure that (the monks) can be provided for with their basic needs, but also to help support the college so that we continue to thrive and grow,” Thierfelder said.
The eye-popping cost of building the hospital and two professional office buildings that will be included in the complex is estimated at $300 million. On Belmont Abbey College’s side of the ledger, Thierfelder noted that $8 million has already been invested in capital and facility additions, and those improvements will likely require another $3-4 million during next two years. These costs are associated with the building of things such as science labs and simulation labs for the nascent nursing program. Belmont Abbey College has also hired 10 new PhD faculty members to help support growth in the health sciences, according to Thierfelder.
“The scope of this project is so large,” he said, “it’s a game-changer kind of project.”
Building New Degree Programs
The $300 million CaroMont hospital is situated on the campus of Belmont Abbey College. College president Dr. Bill Thierfelder notes, “The scope of this project is so large, it’s a game-changer kind of project.” (Rendering provided by Belmont Abbey College)Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in 2020, Dr. Travis Feezell returned to Belmont Abbey College as provost after serving as a professor there from 2008 to 2014. The opportunity to help build new degree programs was a major factor in his move back.
There were three areas of focus for graduate programs in health sciences: nursing, health informatics (database analysis for the handling of health care information) and health administration. Feezell noted that a pivot was made in the fall of 2020 away from health informatics as more prep time would be required for that program. The decision was made to focus on the Master’s in Health Administration degree program first.
Feezell hired Dr. Gwyndolan Swain as architect and founding program director. Swain, who had created similar programs at Pfeiffer University in Charlotte, developed Belmont Abbey College’s program much more quickly than anticipated. The Southern Association of College and Schools Commissions on Colleges (SACSCOC) gave its official accreditation to the MHA program late last year after a successful compliance visit.
In February 2021, Belmont Abbey College officially became a master’s degree granting institution based on SACSCOC’s approval. Feezell was quick to credit Swain for her role in that development.
“Her work was exceptional,” Feezell said. “That got us thinking, we’ve normed and habituated the campus into thinking about program growth and then executing on that – working it through all the internal approval systems and then with the board of trustees.
“Why don’t we actually accelerate this for other graduate programs? We’ve kind of flexed that muscle, so let’s see what we can do.”
With the MHA in place, the focus shifted to finalizing the undergraduate nursing program. In keeping with the Benedictine tradition of caring for the sick, Belmont Abbey College’s nursing program is predicated on a holistic approach with a foundation in Catholic health care ethics.
The college’s dean of nursing, Dr. Carolyn Harmon, said the program is set to open this fall. Already, 67 students have been admitted to the college’s pre-nursing program, which lasts for two years. There will not be a full cohort of nursing students this fall, but Harmon expects to accept transfer students who have completed pre-nursing programs at other schools. Moving forward, 40 students will be enrolled annually with a planned total of 80 seats reserved for junior and seniors.
Experts estimate that 500,000 new nursing jobs will be available by 2028, so the programs couldn’t come at a better time – even with the pandemic.
“The nursing profession has actually had a shortage since the 1960s,” Harmon noted. “COVID pushed us into a crisis mode. The monks and the college, along with CaroMont, were working on this partnership prior to COVID. They recognized the need for more nurses – especially in Gaston County. This will be the first bachelor’s nursing program in the county, and we also plan to offer master’s degrees.”
The nursing program cleared a major hurdle in January when it received confirmation of accreditation from SACSCOC. It subsequently received the approval of the N.C. Board of Nursing. The new nursing building on the college’s Sacred Heart Campus features classrooms, labs and offices. It is set to open in April, and classes will begin in August. The first cohort will include 40-45 students and seven full-time faculty members.
Belmont Abbey College nursing students will do their clinical training with faculty at the new CaroMont hospital when it opens in 2023. Harmon noted that they’ll have a set number of days and hours of training in the classroom. CaroMont will provide dedicated teaching space in a pair of office buildings situated next to the hospital. Once students acquire the requisite knowledge, they will gain lab skills training at the hospital using mannequins at first, then actual patients. The case studies will allow students to practice and refine their skills for tasks such as giving injections and starting IVs.
Research and national studies demonstrate that nurses with a bachelor’s degree (or higher) see better health outcomes and overall patient care.
“That’s what we’re bringing to Gaston County – more nurses to fill those shortages and to bring better care,” Harmon said, emphasizing that rigorous medical ethics will be a key factor in the educational programs at Belmont Abbey College. “I believe that the foundation of our nursing program relies on high moral training. This will help our students learn how to deal with what they’ll see on a daily basis in health care. That’s what is going to set us apart. That level of excellence is what you want in a nursing program.”
In part because of the new programs, Belmont Abbey College’s enrollment has taken off. Enrollment of new, first-year students this past fall grew 8.6% over 2020, and it stands at 7% higher than five years ago.
“This is the only Catholic nursing program in the whole region along with the Master of Health Administration degree program. That takes us to a new level of offering education that’s attracted new students,” Abbot Placid said.
Thierfelder predicts enrollment will continue to grow as the programs and new hospital get up and running.
“We are going to attract many excellent, vibrant health care professionals here with many different specialties,” he said. “I think the whole health care industry is going to bloom here. I envision down the line that you’ll see this become a medical hub to some degree.”
Part Of A Higher Calling
Belmont Abbey College only exists because there is a Benedictine monastery here. The college is their first and primary apostolate. Abbot Placid was asked about the lasting legacy this powerful partnership with CaroMont Health will have.
“There will be an increased level of health care service,” he said. “It’s also going to make Gaston County a more attractive place to live and (provide) a new appreciation for what it has to offer. For the college, it offered us the opportunity to expand. For the monastery, it has offered us the opportunity to continue a new role of service to the local community. The income from the lease of the property allows us to continue our support for Belmont Abbey College.”
Feezell described the monks as the “essence” of Belmont Abbey College. They were also a big reason in his decision to return to the institution.
“The Southern Benedictine Association shouldn’t go unnamed or unnoticed,” Feezell said. “They have great love and care for the institution. The financial, strategic and emotional support that they provided – and continue to provide – has been tremendous to get these programs off the ground.”
As much as this is a tale about a hospital being built on a college campus with the addition of medical and health science degree programs, Thierfelder believes
Divine Providence is the real protagonist in this story.
“When I came here, I recognized how much Divine Providence had a role in creating this place called Belmont Abbey, which was really the foundation of Catholicism in North Carolina,” he said. “I believe that Divine Providence is at work today in the most profound ways.”
He added, “It’s about the salvation of souls and trustful serenity to Divine Providence. We have enough proof in our history to show that Divine Providence always comes through.”
— Kris Johnson, Correspondent