Spotsy hospital opening delayed
The new Spotsylvania hospital will be late in opening and cost more than expected
Date published: 7/24/2008
BY JIM HALL
The new Spotsylvania County hospital will take longer to build and cost more than expected.
Officials of HCA Inc. said yesterday that their new Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center will not open next year, as they have long predicted. Instead, they now expect it to open by June 2010.
Also, because of the construction delay and rising fuel costs, the hospital is expected to cost $175 million, up from the original estimate of $150 million.
"Fuel costs are impacting us pretty much in every area," said Timothy Tobin, chief executive officer of the new hospital.
HCA will report these changes to the state in an annual update, due by the end of the week.
HCA and MediCorp Health System received state permits for new hospitals on the same day: Aug. 25, 2006. One started construction soon after that; the other did not.
MediCorp had the groundbreaking for its Stafford Hospital Center in October 2006. It expects to open the 100-bed hospital near the county courthouse early next year.
HCA waited 20 months, until April 2008, for its groundbreaking. Completion of its 126-bed hospital will take another 20 months.
Company officials blame the delay on a combination of factors:
Trouble buying a key parcel at the site. The owner of the land and then the trustee died. The hospital is being built at the intersection of Interstate 95 and U.S. 17 at Massaponax.
Unexpected environmental regulations. Once work started, an endangered plant was discovered on the property.
Psychiatric beds. When it issued the permit, the state required that the hospital have psychiatric beds. HCA had not anticipated this and had to redraw the plans.
Sale of the company. The Nashville-based company was bought out and taken private during the approval period. However, company officials discount the effect this had on the Spotsylvania project.
Despite the delays, construction of the hospital is now under way. The footers have been poured and the storm-drainage system is being built. A tower crane is visible from across the interstate.
Spotsylvania Supervisor Gary Skinner, who represents the Lee Hill District, said yesterday that he is not concerned about the delayed opening.
"I'm sure we'd love to have it open sooner," Skinner said. "I'm just still very happy that they can bring it here, even if it's a six-month delay."
Jim Hall: 540/374-5433
Email: jhall@freelancestar.com
Read more stories about Fredericksburg
Date published: 7/24/2008
Most recent reader comments:
Too bad FLS is in bed with MediCorp
(posted by
YankeeRN
, July 24, 2008 9:20 pm)
Hall makes it sound like HCA was sitting on their hands. MediCorps money and influence did what ever they could to eliminate the chance this hospital would get a permit. They then tried to delay it. They even went so far to open a pretend emergency room to try to not lose any of their patients they will lose when this hospital opens.
Medicorp is silly
(posted by
general1
, July 24, 2008 2:44 pm)
They take a $100,000,000 loan out to rush to finish a hospital before there competition arrives to have something of a chance to survive.
HCA pays for their hospital in cash.
Short of nurses you say? HCA has the power to get them easily. They have thousands and thousands, and can pull them from their other 15 or so hospitals in the state if they have to.
I'm afraid Medicorp is seeing the beginning of their local demise. Goodbye to the local tyrant. We deserve better anyways.
Keep in mind..
(posted by
Mooseman
, July 24, 2008 1:44 pm)
HCA is a FOR profit hospital. Any idea what that means in the long run? Also, anyone with no insurance will still have to come to MWH. MWH has grown and has become a quality hospital, and continues to grow. It's the 2nd largest hospital in the Northern Va region and has the 4th busiest ER in the state. Keep that in mind when all you can complain about is how busy the ER is.
Need another Hospital
(posted by
Dakotadream
, July 24, 2008 12:39 pm)
Anyone who has had to deal with the emergency room wait time and Medicorp billing practices should be in favor of a Spotsy hospital. This hospital will employee people from the area also. County residents need another avenue to find medical care other than the monopoly that Medicorp has on this area.
notfromva
(posted by
taxpayer
, July 24, 2008 12:38 pm)
Better quality of care? Not if you can't staff your hospital with nurses. There is a nurse shortage going on. There isn't a hospital in today's nation that isn't affect by the shortage and once HCA is finally up and running they will be no different from any other hospital who cannot deliver quality care from lack of personnel.
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