Smithfield and Isle of Wight County had more to celebrate than just the opening of a medical facility when the new Riverside Smithfield Hospital began treating patients in January. Residents of the rural community now have quicker and easier access to health care for the first time, which is promising in an age where many rural communities across Virginia and the nation are seeing a decline in readily available medical services.
Between 2005 and 2023, more than 140 rural hospitals permanently closed or stopped providing inpatient care in the U.S., mostly due to financial strain. In 2022, a third of Virginia’s rural hospitals were also reported to be in the red. Rural hospitals tend to serve patients who are older, have higher levels of chronic illness and poverty and a larger reliance on programs like Medicaid and Medicare, posing challenges in recruitment and retention. Riverside is looking to buck the trend with the new hospital.
“Smithfield and Isle of Wight County have long been designated as medically underserved, with residents often traveling 30 minutes or more to access essential health care services,” shared Jessica Macalino, the hospital’s president. “Isle of Wight County is a fast-growing area and this hospital is a direct response to the community’s call for accessible, high-quality health care closer to home. This is huge for this community. It’s going to change and save many lives.”
Construction for the new hospital, which offers round-the-clock care, began in 2023 along Benns Grant Boulevard in Smithfield. Amenities of the three-story, 200,000 square foot facility include 38 medical/surgical beds and a dozen intensive care unit beds; four operating rooms and two procedure suites; and an emergency department with 15 rooms, as well as a staff of roughly 300…