Carteret Health Care Breaks Ground on $50 Million HealthPlex in Cedar Point

New 50,000 square-foot facility will bring emergency, surgical and specialty services to western Carteret County.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Carteret Health Care held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $50 million HealthPlex facility in Cedar Point, North Carolina. The 50,000 square-foot campus will offer emergency, surgical, primary and specialty services 24/7 to serve residents, visitors and military families in the western part of Carteret County. The project is expected to be completed by Fall 2027.

Why it matters

The new HealthPlex will reduce emergency care travel time for those in the western side of Carteret County, who previously had to travel to Morehead City to access these services. This investment in rural healthcare access comes at a time when many rural hospitals across the country are closing.

The details

The HealthPlex will house an emergency department, imaging services like MRI and CT scans, a lab, pharmacy, primary care, specialty care, and an ambulatory surgery center. Carteret Health Care says the facility will be a 'huge win' for the western end of the county, which is the fastest growing part of the county.

  • Carteret Health Care held the groundbreaking ceremony on February 27, 2026.
  • The first phase of construction is expected to be completed by Fall 2027.

The players

Carteret Health Care

A healthcare provider serving Carteret County, North Carolina.

Kyle Marek

President and CEO of Carteret Health Care.

Chris Chadwick

Chairman of the Carteret County Board of Commissioners and member of the health board.

David Quinn

Carteret County Commissioner.

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What they’re saying

“Not only is it going to have a free standing emergency department, we're going to have the MRI, CT, general X-ray, lab, pharmacy, and upstairs are going to have expanded primary care, multispecialty care and then an ambulatory service center.”

— Kyle Marek, President and CEO, Carteret Health Care (WITN)

“The community doesn't have to travel. We're coming to the community. When you're in an emergency situation, you want some way to get there fast. When you're in the back of an ambulance 30, 40 minutes makes a huge difference. This way it'll be 10 to 15 minutes, so it's going to be a big benefit.”

— Kyle Marek, President and CEO, Carteret Health Care (WITN)

“This facility has been needed for years. The western end of the county is the fastest growing end of the county and to have an emergency room here and a place to be able to get CT scans, and different types of tests to send to other facilities, and to be able to see your primary doctor, it's a huge win for Carteret County.”

— Chris Chadwick, Chairman, Carteret County Board of Commissioners (WITN)

“I am incredibly excited. This is absolutely outstanding for our end of the county. This is something that has been in the work for many years. Our citizens have asked for it, and we worked together with local business partners, with the hospital board and made this happen.”

— David Quinn, Carteret County Commissioner (WITN)

What’s next

The first phase of construction is expected to be completed by Fall 2027.

The takeaway

This investment in rural healthcare access by Carteret Health Care comes at a critical time, as many rural hospitals across the country are closing. The new HealthPlex will provide much-needed emergency, surgical and specialty services to the growing western end of Carteret County.