Retired physician urges council to press hospital for better performance

During the public comment period, retired physician Dr. John V. Martell urged the Wilmington City Council to treat hospital quality as critical infrastructure for the city and to press hospital leadership on performance promises.

Martell told the council that when Novant acquired the local regional medical center five years ago it promised a top-10 percent hospital, but that public metrics show lower performance. "Currently, the hospital is rated two out of five stars by Medicare and has a C rating on the Leapfrog dashboard of patient safety," he said, and highlighted concerns including surgical-site infections and other patient-safety indicators where the hospital fell in lower national percentiles.

Martell emphasized that the council does not govern the hospital directly but said Novant is a large corporate presence in Wilmington and that council members should ask administrators what they are doing to fulfill their quality commitments. He framed high-quality hospital care as essential city infrastructure, on a par with water and public safety.

Council did not take formal action on the comment; the item was recorded as part of the public information period.