VCU/CMH to expand further
Published 11:17 am Thursday, September 15, 2016
Virginia Commonwealth University Community Memorial Hospital (VCU/CMH) CEO Scott Burnette came to the Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors’ meeting Thursday to ask a favor: Support not only the ongoing work to build the hospital’s new facilities in South Hill, but an already planned expansion to be completed at the same time.
Burnette said VCU/CMH wants to take the hospital to a “new level” by “starting a new expansion before even finishing” the new building.
“We want to … have all physicians, except oncology, in one place,” Burnette said. “This way, they can consult with each other on a real-time basis. We have occupied all the physical spaces in South Hill.”
The already $2 billion project would add another $15.5 million, Burnette said, to create an additional 67,000 square feet of space. All the work would be done by the same contractor and both parts of the project would be completed at the same time.
Burnette said the hospital has undertaken a $3.5 million campaign to pay for its part of the project while VCU picks up the rest of the tab.
“We have close to $2.3 million,” Burnette said. “We are asking you to consider in your budget to help us by committing $10,000 each year for the next five years.”
Supervisor Frank Bacon told Burnette the board had just finalized its 2016-17 budget and would have to look at making such a committing for the next fiscal year.
In other business, the board:
• Recognized the Lunenburg United Futbol Club U8 on its undefeated, 10-0, spring season;
• Heard a financial report from Lunenburg County Public Schools;
• Unanimously approved a $182,280 bid from Pearson Appraisal to conduct the county’s next property reassessment, despite not being the low bidder and what supervisors and County Administrator Tracy Gee said were problems with Pearson’s work during the last appraisal — Gee indicated the company has dealt with those issues;
• Decided to wait, at Gee’s suggestion, until February to respond to a request to hold Heartland Regional Authority Board meetings in Lunenburg;
• Heard a report about Sept. 20’s planning commission public hearing on the possible creation of an event permit ordinance; and
• Met in closed session to discuss a personnel issue involving reorganization and consult with the board’s attorney about several legal matters, including one involving an automobile accident.