Atrium Health Plans To Turn Harrisburg ER Into Full Hospital by 2026
The upgraded site will add surgery units, doctor offices, and patient beds to serve the community. This marks the second major medical facility for Cabarrus County.
Atrium has received permission from the State, and submitted preliminary plans to the Town to transform its Harrisburg facility into a full-service hospital.
Image Courtesy Town of Harrisburg, NCBy 2026, the Harrisburg, North Carolina emergency room will transform into a complete medical center. The upgraded site will add surgery units, doctor offices, and patient beds to serve the community. This marks the second major medical facility for Cabarrus County.
The site on Rocky River Road will shift from basic emergency care to full medical services. In talks with WCNC, Town Manager Robert Donham pointed out that patients now face a 20-25 minute drive to Concord for complete care.
"Currently, Harrisburg residents do have to travel, either out of the county, or 20, 25 minutes to Concord to access some of the more full-service hospital needs that you have, and we would anticipate all of those services being available right here to our residents," Donham said.
The new site will feature modern imaging tools and specialized treatment areas. While exact details remain in draft form, builders plan to break ground next year. Patient rooms will offer comfort and advanced care options under one roof.
Gene Hermitte shared his first visit to the current facility: "We came by for a tour and we asked questions about what the services were available, especially things like strokes and heart attacks," Hermitte said. "We were quite surprised because they said for really serious things like that, they would have to send us to a full-service hospital."
This change promises to boost local growth. Construction work will bring immediate jobs, while medical staff positions will add long-term work. "The jobs, they provide a great deal of investment, both in the construction and everything, but also the workers there also need to frequent your community, they buy homes in your community, they dine and shop in your community," Donham said.
The medical center shows progress in local healthcare access. Working with the current Concord site, this facility will give residents two full-service options in Cabarrus County.
