If you live in NOVA (or know someone who does) you should read this post

[dustyphoenix]

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VIRGINIA - On May 9, the Virginia Department of Health granted the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) a “significant change extension” on its “Certificate of Public Need,” originally granted on May 13, 2005, despite the expiration of a regulatory three-year deadline for construction. This extension will allow HCA to continue

Comments

[spriteydoo]

Loudoun currently only has one hospital, Inova, but HCA is in the neighborhood, and when I lived in Loudoun, HCA's Reston hospital was the closest to me. The county does need another hospital, but i think it should be on the route 50 corridor (ie south riding) because that is where most of the growth is and that area does not have a hospital near it yet. HCA, Broadlands residents, and the last three county boards have been fighting over this for years. I don't know why HCA hasn't given up on Broadlands and sought a location closer to 50. The arguments against it seem to be totally about the location: Broadlands is too close to Inova's Lansdowne campus and is not accessible to the rapidly growing neighborhoods to the south. Recent ad campaigns by Inova have focused on how expensive HCA, saying that in Richmond HCA is significantly more expensive than Bon Secours and MCV, and that Inova will be cheaper because it is nonprofit.

[dustyphoenix]

So, HCA is the largest for-profit hospital chain in America. They were bought out by a private equity firm-- KKR-- known for their skillfully restructing. Some of their more infamous moments include-elminating pensions and putting in a 401K managed by a company who happens to own 1/4 of the chain, putting nurses and patients at risk by assigning nurse in critical care areas, like ICU, to a larger number of patients than the nurse could safely care for, building hospitals in growning areas to wedge out the competition, puttng a gag rule into effect for all staff, asking staff to serve outside of their areas of competence, and my favorite being owned (at least partially,) by Bill Frist.
I don't think it's any secret that HCA wants to build in an area that would need to be re-zoned when another area with a growing population that is already zoned correctly for an acute care facility exists.

HCA

[spriteydoo]

I'm with CCB and I caught your blog. We'd love it if you would participate in our blog @ www.StopBRMC.Blogspot.com. We're always looking for people who share our perspective.

HCA

[anonymous]

I'm with CCB and I caught your blog. We'd love it if you would participate in our blog @ www.StopBRMC.Blogspot.com. We're always looking for people who want to participate and share our perspective.