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Mary Washington Hospital has received state permission to build a second cancer center Date published: 2/19/2010
BY JIM HALL Mary Washington Hospital has won permission from the state to build a new cancer center. The center will be located on the hospital campus in Fredericksburg and will be in addition to the hospital's Cancer Center of Virginia on State Route 3 in Spotsylvania County. The project will cost more than $11 million. Construction will begin this summer and is expected to be completed next year. Mary Washington tried twice before, in 2006 and 2009, to get state approval for an expansion of its cancer-treatment services. The state rejected both proposals as unneeded. This time, Dr. Karen Remley, state health commissioner, changed her mind. Remley issued a "certificate of public need," on Feb. 4. She said that the Fredericksburg region will soon need more cancer-fighting capability, since the Cancer Center of Virginia will be at or near capacity. Mary Washington officials learned of her decision last week. The Cancer Center did about 15,000 treatments in 2008. In the past, the state has said that it expected the center to be doing about 16,000 treatments a year before it approved an expansion. "We're very pleased that she looked to the future when she was considering our application," said hospital spokeswoman Kathleen Allenbaugh. Remley's decision is a setback for the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center and the Mid-Rivers Cancer Center in Montross. Both had opposed Mary Washington. "We were very disappointed by the commissioner's decision. We don't believe it was the right decision," said Tim Tobin, chief executive officer of the new hospital, yesterday. The new Spotsylvania hospital tried unsuccessfully to file a competing application for a cancer center of its own. Also, its employees and supporters testified against Mary Washington at a public hearing in September. Spotsylvania supporters said that cancer patients should have a choice of providers. "We are very committed to developing our own cancer program," Tobin said. "We feel that it would be inappropriate to expect our cancer patients to have to be transferred to Mary Washington's program." Tobin also said that Remley's decision could delay Spotsylvania's plans. "The commissioner has shown that she can have some latitude in how she interprets the state medical facility plan," Tobin said. "I'm hoping she will continue to exercise that latitude."
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 2/19/2010
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