PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. -- The Prince William Board of County Supervisors proclaimed its support for the construction of a new hospital in western Prince William by unanimously approving a resolution at Tuesday's meeting.
The proposal by Novant's Prince William Hospital to bring a new 60-bed hospital next to the Heathcote Health Center in the Haymarket area was recommended for denial by the Virginia Department of Health's Certificate of Public Need division.
The board's resolution states that no facility currently exists to provide timely access to care for the households in the areas of western Prince William, southern Loudoun County, eastern Fauquier County, and western Fairfax County.
In a letter to State Health Commissioner Karen Remley, the board cites a 2006 letter from Novant characterizing western Prince William County as an area of "rapid growth." The Novant letter also concluded that the travel time to Prince William Hospital in Manassas from western Prince William was between "45 minutes to one hour."
But the Certificate of Public Need division recommended denying the proposal in part because "the area is adequately served by existing and authorized healthcare services," according to a report on the proposal.
The department's report said there are several hospitals within 30 minutes of the proposed location, including Prince William Hospital.
But that hospital is about 11 miles from the proposed site of the new hospital. Inova Hospital in Falls Church is nearly 26 miles from the proposed site.
And Woodbridge's Sentara Potomac Hospital, which at one time had a competing bid for a hospital in the Haymarket area, is nearly 30 miles away.
Supervisor John T. Stirrup, R-Gainesville, estimates that there are between 40,000 and 50,000 people living within five miles of the proposed site, and there are nearly 150,000 living in the two western Prince William voting districts.
The state's decision has not been finalized, and the public has through Friday to comment on the placement of a new hospital. Comments can be e-mailed to Remley at commissioner.remley@vdh.virginia.gov.
The commissioner's office will make the final decision on the proposed hospital. If constructed, the hospital could open by 2015 and would likely feature medical and surgical units, an intensive care unit and obstetrics services.
"When we first started this discussion, we really thought it was a no-brainer, so it was very disheartening to see the recommendation from the Department of the Certificate of Public Need," Stirrup said. "But it's not over yet."
Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-530-3904.
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