Duke management of Durham Regional reviewed

The board of trustees of Durham County Hospital Corp (Durnam, NC) retained Noblis Inc (Falls Church, VA) to review the first 10 years of Duke University Health System's (Durham, NC) 20-year management contract with Durham Regional Hospital (Durham, NC). The board wishes to determine whether Durham Regional has maintained its position among the state's top tertiary care community hospitals. A three-year to five-year "strategic plan" will result that will address whether to extend the lease or seek another manager. Although financial results are improving after several years of major losses, services such as inpatient pediatrics and cardiovascular care have been reduced or eliminated. Speculation has arisen that the board may consider Novant Health (Winston-Salem, NC) to replace Duke. In 2006, the Durham County Board of Commissioners initiated a separate study to examine whether Duke's upkeep of the Durham Regional facilities had met expectations. That study recommended improvements, including timely completion of a $10 million ICU renovation and the conversion of its inpatient beds from semi-private to private.