UNC Health Blue Ridge receives ASHE 2025 Excellence in Health Care Facility Management Award

The American Society for Health Care Engineering July 15 announced UNC Health Blue Ridge as the winner of its 2025 Excellence in Health Care Facility Management Award.

The hospital last year completed a new six-story pavilion on its central campus in Morganton, N.C., that expands the hospital from 338,060 square feet to 557,181 square feet, encompassing 30 updated intensive care unit and emergency department rooms, as well as dedicated behavioral health spaces. The expansion also increased capacity to 214 inpatient beds and helped the hospital secure a Level III trauma center designation. Since opening, patient wait times have decreased by 33% and ED visit stay durations have fallen by 9 minutes on average, while centralizing inpatient care has allowed the system to increase visit volume by 3%.

Officials from UNC Health Blue Ridge will be presented with the award during the Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference in Columbus, Ohio, July 27-30.