A NEW HOSPITAL IN SPOTSY, A NEW ERA FOR OUR COMMUNITY

A new hospital for Spotsylvania, a new day for the community

Date published: 3/1/2009

IF A VILLAGE can raise a child, it might also be said that a hospital can raise up a community. In the spring of 2010, Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center will open its doors as HCA Virginia's new facility and begin to do just that for the Rappahannock region.

With 126 beds and a wide range of clinical services and programs, SRMC will enhance the quality of life for many people in many ways. One of the more visible will be economic development, where SRMC's long-term impact will be a welcome and steadying influence during tumultuous financial times. Our facility not only will generate 400 well-paying jobs whose payroll approaches $26 million, it also will attract new physicians who are eager to practice medicine in the kind of advanced clinical environment SRMC will offer.

The purchasing power of our employees and affiliated physicians will in turn support local businesses and fuel the creation of private-sector jobs, possibly in equal numbers to our work force. Indeed, with about 300 contractors and subcontractors working on our construction site, this benefit is in evidence.

Finally, our hospital will generate substantial tax dollars--an estimated $1.5 million a year--that fund vital community services, and, as do other HCA Virginia facilities, it will serve as a safety net by providing free care to those who can't afford health insurance. We will also reach out to worthwhile community organizations with financial and in-kind contributions exemplified by the $50,000 already donated to Germanna Community College.

While our role as an economic catalyst and community advocate is assured, so too is the priority we will place on clinical excellence. From a bar-code-scanning system that prevents medication errors, to the location and design of our nursing stations, to our "paperless" environment, SRMC will offer patients and physicians the latest features in hospital architecture, equipment, and operation.

The standard for care at SRMC has already been set at a high level by our 12 sister campuses in Virginia. In fact, a large health insurer recently evaluated Virginia's acute-care hospitals based on their patient outcomes and related quality criteria. Significantly, seven of the 10 highest-ranked hospitals were operated by HCA Virginia.

Another benefit will be the introduction of choice and competition. When our doors open, the Rappahannock Region, served so ably for so long by MediCorp's Mary Washington Hospital, will have two health systems from which to choose. As in other sectors, health care competition has advantages in the marketplace: It fosters innovation, raises the bar on quality, and helps control costs.

As the countdown to our opening begins, I am delighted that an outstanding group of individuals is already working hard behind the scenes. Three years ago SRMC was barely a dream. Today, it is taking shape before our eyes on a 58-acre campus just off Interstate 95.

2010 will be here before we know it, and with it will come a new hospital that will change the future of health care delivery in the Rappahannock region.

Tim Tobin is chief executive officer of Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center.

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Date published: 3/1/2009

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