CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Staff at the Virginia Department of Health initially recommended the state deny HCA Healthcare's request to build a new hospital in the Moseley area of Chesterfield County, but new State Health Commission Dr. Cameron Webb ended up approving the project, along with two other hospital projects, after an adjudication officer recommended approval in February.
The three projects will greatly increase the number of beds in the county:
Bon Secours will be allowed to add 40 beds to St. Francis Medical Center
VCU Health will construct a brand new hospital with 66 beds
HCA Healthcare will build a brand new 60-bed facility called Magnolia Hospital
Staff at the Virginia Department of Health had initially denied HCA’s Certificate of Public Need request to build a new hospital in the county stating "the project hindered beneficial competition because it exacerbated a maldistribution of hospitals and beds by the health system. "
They also stated the hospital system had not demonstrated a need for additional acute care capacity in Chesterfield.
However, Kevin Carroll, Vice Chair of the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors, who represents the area where Magnolia Hospital will be built, stated the proposed hospital is definitely needed.
Watch: State approves projects that will double hospitals in Chesterfield
"Out here west of 288, you basically have over 80,000 people living, and of that 80,000 people, HCA will tell you that 45% of the customers that utilize Johnston-Willis and Chippenham live west of 288. So this is an absolute needed medical facility to service western Hull Street," Carroll said.
VDH Adjudication Officer Vanessa MacLeod agreed with the need.
After an informal fact-finding conference, MacLeod recommended approval of the new HCA hospital, highlighting the significant amount of anticipated population growth in the affected area.
She stated it would improve access to care there.
Webb ultimately agreed, writing in his approval letter that the project would redistribute beds to the most highly populated and fastest-growing county in the area.
He stated this would improve the distribution of services and reduce the medical surgical bed surplus.
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