Tuesday was a big day in Fayetteville when workers with Rodgers Builders held a topping-off ceremony for the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, set to open in 2026.
The ceremonial “final beam” covered in signatures — and measuring 27 feet long by 24 inches tall, and weighing 1,500 pounds — was hoisted in place atop the $60 million facility. Doctors, nurses, faculty and staff were joined by community leaders to witness the symbolic turning point of the project.
A celebratory helicopter did a flyover as the medical school in Fayetteville took a visible step forward. The medical school expects to have 64 students in the charter class. Those students are expected to address the region’s longstanding physician shortage.
“Access to great healthcare is a fundamental human right — you shouldn’t have to travel hours to receive it,” said Michael Nagowski, CEO of Cape Fear Valley Health. “For too long, southeastern North Carolina has struggled with physician shortages. This partnership with Methodist University was the perfect match. Methodist University couldn’t have done this without us, and we couldn’t have done it without MU. It’s a true community effort.”
The medical school is also the “logical step” for Methodist University to raise its visibility and level as an institution, says Stanley Wearden, university president.
“If all goes well with accreditation, we hope to welcome our first class of students in July of 2026,” said Dr. Hershey Bell, founding dean of the School of Medicine.
Methodist University is an independent, four-year institution with approximately 2,000 students. Cape Fear Valley is a 1,000-plus-bed, eight-hospital regional health system. It has 7,400 employees and 1,300 providers on it medical staff, and includes Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital, Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center, Behavioral Health Care, Bladen County Hospital, Hoke Hospital, Health Pavilion North, Health Pavilion Hoke and Harnett Health.
The architect for the medical school is Greenville, South Carolina-based McMillan Pazdan Smith.