Nearly a year after receiving approval from the Arlington County Board, the Virginia Hospital Center breaks ground on its three-year expansion project, following an official ceremony held on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
The project centers around a brand new, seven-story outpatient pavilion, adding 101 beds to the existing 357-bed facility, ultimately enabling staff to better care for patients. Both the new medical building and a six-story parking garage will be located on a 5.5-acre site next to the hospital’s main campus on North George Mason Drive.
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While currently in the demolition phase of the project, VHC plans to complete that process before month’s end, according to Adrian Stanton, vice president of business development and community relations for the hospital. The team has also started some of the initial grading of the site, as well as preparing for the underground work required for utilities.
Reasons for the extension stem from a nationwide shift toward providing more outpatient care, as well as a need to increase inpatient capacity within the hospital. According to Stanton, bringing all of the campus outpatient services together in a single location will make it more convenient for patients and their families to access care.
The new outpatient pavilion will provide open space on the main campus for more inpatient beds for cancer, cardiac and stroke patients, the ability to increase behavioral health services and a strengthened emergency department, enabling staff to treat more patients and reduce wait times, according to Stanton.
As for the design of the building, local residents can expect bright, open spaces that maximize natural light and enhance patient comfort, as well as 1.3 acres of open green space.
The entire expansion is scheduled to take up to three years, with the garage on track to be complete by 2021 and the pavilion to follow.
