Our History
Your Health, Our Mission - Since 1908
What started as a nine-bed hospital in 1908 has grown into a comprehensive health system serving hundreds of thousands across the region. Through every decade, expansion and innovation, one thing has remained constant: our commitment to providing exceptional care with compassion, right here in the community you call home.
1908 | Gastonia's First Hospital Opens Its Doors
In 1908, local physicians and civic leaders in Gastonia, North Carolina opened City Hospital — a nine-bed facility built to serve a community where most medical care still happened in private homes. It was a defining moment for the region's growing textile workforce. Within four years, the hospital relocated to Main Avenue and expanded to meet the demands of a booming industrial city.
1924 | A New Facility for a Growing Gastonia
As Gastonia's population surged past 17,000, the hospital relocated to a purpose-built facility with 46 beds. The 1920s brought unprecedented growth to Gaston County — textile mills operated around the clock, and the expanded hospital introduced specialized services and modern equipment to match the region's ambitions.
1946 | Gaston Memorial Hospital: Nonprofit, Community-Owned Care
Following World War II, the Gastonia community rallied through a public fundraising campaign to purchase City Hospital and rename it Gaston Memorial Hospital. This transition to nonprofit, community ownership reflected a foundational belief: healthcare should serve everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. The new structure allowed the hospital to reinvest in equipment, services and a mission centered on population health rather than profit.
1950 | School of Nursing Established
Gaston Memorial Hospital launched a School of Nursing in 1950 to address a critical regional shortage of trained nurses. New surgical suites and specialized departments transformed the hospital into a comprehensive medical center during this era. The nursing school's first graduating class of just three students would grow into a respected program over the following two decades.
1973 | 307 Nurses Graduated & a Bold New Campus Built
The School of Nursing closed in 1973 after 23 years of service, having graduated 307 nurses who went on to serve communities across North Carolina. That same year, hospital leaders broke ground on a new state-of-the-art medical center on Cox Road — a 250-bed facility with cutting-edge operating rooms, intensive care units and diagnostic imaging. The move from downtown Gastonia repositioned the hospital to serve generations of future growth in Gaston County.
1993 | Cancer Program Accreditation — One of Only Seven in NC
In 1993, Gaston Memorial Hospital became one of only seven hospitals in North Carolina to earn the Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program designation from the American College of Surgeons. This accreditation meant Gaston County residents facing a cancer diagnosis no longer had to travel hours for treatment — a comprehensive program covering early detection, advanced treatment and survivorship support was now available close to home.
2000 | Gaston Memorial Hospital Becomes CaroMont Health
In 2000, Gaston Memorial Hospital adopted a new identity — CaroMont Health — signaling its evolution from a single hospital into an integrated regional health system. "Caro" honored the Carolina region; "Mont" paid tribute to the mountains defining the western horizon. Most significantly, replacing "Hospital" with "Health" reflected a forward-thinking philosophy: exceptional healthcare extends beyond hospital walls to encompass prevention, wellness and lifelong community support.
2004 | The Birthplace Opens — Largest Single-Room Maternity Unit in the Nation
CaroMont Regional Medical Center unveiled the West Expansion in 2004, featuring The Birthplace — at the time, the largest single-room maternity care unit in the United States. Its 52 Labor, Delivery, and Recovery (LDR) suites allowed families to remain in one private room throughout their entire birth experience. The expansion also added a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), ensuring premature and high-risk newborns could receive life-saving care without leaving Gaston County.
2015 | Mount Holly Freestanding Emergency Department Opens
In 2015, CaroMont Health opened a 38,000-square-foot freestanding Emergency Department in Mount Holly, bringing 24/7 emergency care to the rapidly growing communities of eastern Gaston, southern Lincoln and western Mecklenburg counties — areas previously underserved by nearby emergency services. In its first year, the Mount Holly ED treated approximately 12,000 patients.
2016 | Pediatric Emergency Care Center Added in Gastonia
The main Emergency Department in Gastonia underwent a major renovation, adding 10,000 square feet of clinical space and introducing the Albert G. Myers, Jr. Pediatric Care Center — a dedicated emergency environment designed specifically for children. Child-sized equipment, calming design elements and specialized pediatric emergency physicians reduced fear and anxiety for young patients and their families across Gaston County.
2025 | CaroMont Opens New 66-Bed Hospital in Belmont, NC
On January 8, 2025, CaroMont Health opened a 66-bed hospital in Belmont, North Carolina — a historic expansion bringing a full-service hospital to the communities of Belmont, Mount Holly and surrounding eastern Gaston County for the first time. The facility features a 16-room, 24/7 emergency department, 54 inpatient beds, a surgical suite with two operating rooms and comprehensive diagnostic services.
CaroMont Health Today
A Regional Health System
More than a century after opening with nine beds, CaroMont Health now spans two full-service hospitals in Gastonia and Belmont, a freestanding Emergency Department in Mount Holly, and over 50 physician offices across the region — all supported by a Level III Trauma Center, accredited Cancer Center, Birthplace and Level III NICU. The legacy that began in 1908 continues: exceptional care, delivered with compassion, right here at home.