Business leaders, elected officials and construction supervisors gather to sign the final steel beam going into the Stafford Hospital Center. photos by ROBERT A. MARTIN/THE FREE LANCE-STAR View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

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REGION'S MEDICAL CARE GETTING A SHOT IN ARM HEALTH STAFFORD HOSPITAL TOPPED OFF, REHAB CENTER READY

Officials get update on progress of new hospital in Stafford County

By KAFIA HOSH

Date published: 7/27/2007

By KAFIA HOSH

A steel beam swayed in the air as onlookers ducked playfully and cheered at the site of the new Stafford Hospital Center.

Construction of the 100-bed MediCorp Health System facility is in full swing and ahead of schedule.

The last piece of steel was set into place during a topping-off ceremony yesterday.

The five-story hospital is on U.S. 1, just south of Stafford Courthouse.

Most of the work now surrounds the fourth floor, where interior walls and electrical systems are being installed.

Construction is three weeks ahead of schedule, thanks to good weather, a diligent crew and timely deliveries, said project manager Allen Bryan.

The hospital is slated to open by March 2009. It will be 265,000 square feet, designed with MediCorp's signature green brick and glass walls.

There are also plans to build an adjacent 80,000-square-foot medical office building and a day-care center, Bryan said.

When it opens, the hospital will have 350 employees. In the meantime, MediCorp plans to conduct a nationwide search for nurses, radiologists, physical therapists and other personnel, said Kathryn Wall, executive vice president for human resources.

MediCorp also sponsors scholarships to encourage medical programs at local universities and colleges.

"We need the best staff to provide the best care for our patients," Wall said.

The facility will better serve growing Stafford County, according to local officials and MediCorp staff.

The nonprofit Fredericksburg-based company considered bringing clinics and other medical facilities to the county before settling on the hospital, said Joe Wilson, chairman of the MediCorp board of directors.

"We talked about options," he said. "It all came down to: We need a full-service hospital in Stafford County."

Aquia Supervisor Paul Milde said county officials worked diligently to prove Stafford's need for a hospital.

And now, "that artist rendition we've all seen has been a dream come true," he said. "It's come to life."

Spotsylvania County also is scheduled to get a new, $152 million, 126-bed, acute-care hospital, planned by HCA south of the U.S. 17 bypass in the Massaponax area. The county is looking at road issues surrounding the hospital, also supposed to open in 2009.

The state health commissioners approved both hospitals in August 2006.

Beds for patients Where do the 100 beds go? The third and fourth floors will have 30 medical surgical beds each. The second floor will have 24 medical surgical beds, six intensive care unit beds and 10 maternity beds.

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Date published: 7/27/2007