BY JIM HALL
When the rich and famous need medical care, Mary Washington Hospital can offer them the security and privacy of a VIP suite.
The Fredericksburg hospital has two suites that resemble the bedroom and living room combination that a traveler might find in a fine hotel.
Hospital officials, citing security reasons, are hesitant to say much about the suites. They would not permit a tour or photograph of the rooms.
They also would not discuss the notables who have used the rooms. And they asked that their exact location not be included in this story.
"We don't want people going around looking for them," said Mahogany Hart, hospital spokeswoman.
The suites are used for patients "whose presence in the hospital may be disruptive to the other patients," Hart said.
This could be notables who receive lots of visitors, or someone who has been assaulted and needs protection from an attacker.
"Or if there is an entourage around a patient, there's a place to put those folks and keep them away from the other patients," said Dr. J. Thomas Ryan, vice president for medical affairs.
A doctor or nursing supervisor makes the decision to place a patient in the VIP suites. The hospital does not charge extra for the rooms.
The two suites were created several years ago for the open-heart surgery program, Hart said. They're used to help patients transition to home following a bypass operation, hence their official title: cardiac step-down rehab rooms.
Cardiac patients are the most frequent users of the suites, said Kathleen Allenbaugh, hospital spokeswoman. The number of other patients who use the rooms is "very low," she said.
The suites were formed by combining two standard hospital rooms. One portion of the suite resembles a patient room. The other portion resembles a family room, where patients can practice the skills of daily living, such as getting up from a couch, Hart said.
Most medium-to-large hospitals in urban and suburban settings have VIP suites, said Rick Wade, senior vice president for the American Hospital Association.
The wealthy often ask for the extra amenities and are willing to pay for them, Wade said.
Also, a hospital never knows who might show up at its emergency room.
Said Wade: "If Dick Cheney happened to drive down to Fredericksburg to address the commencement at Mary Washington College, and had a little heart flutter, where do you think he would go?"
Jim Hall: 540/374-5433