WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Novant Health solicited feedback from its managers and employees on how to best celebrate the healthcare system's tenth anniversary. After considering several good ideas, including a large festive event and an anniversary gift for staff, the organization chose the option that its employees overwhelmingly recommended - give something to its communities.

"Our healthcare system is going to build three Habitat for Humanity homes in celebration of our anniversary," explained Paul Wiles, president and CEO of Novant Health, "one in each of our three major regions. We'll be using the funds we would have spent on an anniversary party and instead purchase lumber, nails, glass, paint and all the supplies to build a new future for three deserving families of our communities."

Novant and its staff will build one home in Brunswick County, one in the Triad and the other in the Charlotte area, which are the three regions where the health system has the largest concentration of hospitals, physician clinics and other facilities.

Novant Health staff will work closely with their local Habitat for Humanity chapter. The construction will begin sometime in late winter and early spring of 2008.

The not-for-profit healthcare system formed in 1997 when Presbyterian Healthcare of Charlotte merged with the Forsyth Medical Center organization in Winston-Salem, bringing together two regions, five hospitals and approximately 13,000 employees. Today, the healthcare system consists of eight hospitals, an 800-physician medical group and 19,000 employees. The health system will continue to grow as it begins building three new community hospitals and expanding outreach with new neighborhood medical plazas. In addition, several organizations have announced plans to join Novant, including Rowan Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, NC and the national MedQuest company with 91 diagnostic imaging centers.

Verispan's 2007 Top 100 list of integrated healthcare networks ranks Novant Health as North Carolina's highest rated healthcare system and 7th in the nation. Verispan, an independent health informatics company, analyzes integrated healthcare networks based on eight critical success factors and then utilizes that evaluation to rank health systems throughout the country.

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Novant Health consists of eight hospitals and an 800-physician medical group with 240 clinic locations. Other facilities and programs of Novant include two nursing homes, outpatient surgery and diagnostic centers, rehabilitation programs and community health outreach programs. Hospitals include Presbyterian Hospital, Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville and Presbyterian Hospital Matthews of the Charlotte area; Forsyth Medical Center, Medical Park Hospital and Thomasville Medical Center in the Triad region; and Brunswick Community Hospital along North Carolina's southeastern coast.