Contains several whereas clauses concerning the shortage of health care providers in rural areas in the State. Enacts two new subsections to GS 131E-184 (exemptions from certificate of need review).

New subsection (i) requires the Department of Health and Human Services (Department) to exempt from certificate of need review the construction, development, acquisition, or establishment of an ambulatory surgical facility so long as four specified criteria are met. Includes a requirement that the ambulatory facility has an agreement with a hospital within a reasonable distance from the facility, or the medical staff at the facility has hospital privileges or other documented arrangements deemed sufficient by the Department, to ensure that inpatient hospital services will be available to address any medical complications that require a patient at the facility to be admitted to a hospital for inpatient care. Also requires the ambulatory surgical facility to comply with all requirements of the Ambulatory Surgical Facility Licensure Act (Part 4 of Article 6 of GS Chapter 131E) including the licensure requirements specified in GS 131E-147.

New subsection (j) requires the Department to exempt from certificate need for review three specified activities by a community hospital with 200 acute care beds or less as of December 31, 2016: (1) the development of a new institutional health service; (2) the construction, development, or other establishment of a new health service facility, or a portion thereof; and (3) the acquisition of major medical equipment, magnetic resonance imaging equipment, a lithotripter, or a linear accelerator.

Effective October 1, 2017.