Broadlands Hospital

I think a hospital would help all of the restaurants. Have you eaten hospital food lately? I know after the births of my children, I sent everyone out to bring me back food. The stuff the hospital brought me was hardly edible.

 

A. I beleive that we will be in need of more hospitals in the very near future.
B. I beleive that this is not the correct location for the hospital.
i. It is only 4 miles as the crow flies from an existing hospital
ii. The only Loudoun County residents that will find the hospital more convenient are those residing in the Broadlands.

You asked the question of what are the arguments against the hospital. I beleive that there have been many cogent points made by myself and others in this post.

Convince me...Why is this THE BEST location for the hospital? (aside from the financial benefits to the Broadlands and the hospital itself)

 

If you trust the VA Dept of Health, there are at least 20 reasons why, since HCA would have had to address 20 criteria in obtaining a COPN, and making the argument this is the best location by way of that application.

Perhaps someone with the right savvy or connections can find the text of HCA's application, and share? I'll send a few emails and see what I can find out. I plan to stop by the BRMC office on Thursday, so if anyone wants me to bring them any questions, let me know and I will. Reasonable questions.

 

i. Crows don't take people to hospitals, Loudoun roads do.
ii. Check with the people from Purcellville, Hamilton, Brambleton, Aldie, west Sterling, Middleburg, or South Riding before saying it will only be more convenient to Broadland residents.

Additionally, our need for more hospital beds is already here. It was here five years ago.

Somehow I don't think any of this will convince you. You're certainly welcome to your opinion, I just don't think a majority of the County citizens, the Richmond D of H, or the BOS agrees or is going to agree with your assessment.

 

1. Please read my earlier post regarding the drive times to each hospital from each of the areas you list. Again, the Broadlands will be the main beneficiary to the shorter drives.
2. Refer to number 1. I don't need to call my friends in Purcellville to find out how many bottles of champagne are popping over the potential to save 4 minutes...if they use the $$ Greenway.

 

Why would it take 10 years before another Hospital would be built? I didn't see that number on the application form/instructions.

Things that I have not seen mentioned (or don't remember seeing):

1. The office complex is not usually 24 hour facility, where as the Hospital is.

2. The local restaurants will see a rise in customers, which means longer wait times for residents.

3. Increasing the lanes on Belmont will have some benefit, but it will also have adverse effects. The dump trucks that now use it will be able to drive even faster than they do now. Also, you will have other motorists speed up when more lanes are available to pass slower cars. Most Broadlands residents will not use Belmont to get to the Hospital so the widening does not help us (Broadlands residents) much. But, it will help the folks from South Riding, Aldie etc.

The advantages of the Hospital are many, but with them come other issues as well. I am glad to see that this "debate" is now more civil with opinions not being attacked since they are different.

Thank you for that!

 

I see this in a different light...

2. The local restaurants will see a rise in customers hopefully resulting in fewer of them closing shop due to too little business. Aside from a Fri/Sat evening, I really don't remember the last time I had to wait for a table. Also wouldn't any significant rise in customers be at weekday lunch time? The last I checked, the Broadlands area restaurants are borderline ghost towns at that time.

Even if I am wrong, isn't the point moot? We are either getting a hospital or a huge office complex. Either will bring a potential large influx of people who will be seeking food.

 

I travel Belmont Ridge all the time, and as I have a daughter who will be driving that stretch quite a bit in the very near future (her school and her father are on that route) I REALLY want that road wider and safer.

 

Worthy discussion points. Things to ponder in response:

1. A hospital complex will actually reduce the intensity of traffic and congestion that a commercial office complex will create. Commercial offices tend to have working hours from 9 to 5 (or there bouts). A number of those working in the commercial complex will also leave for lunch around noon. In effect, you will have large amounts of traffic concentrated during three times of the day. Two of which will be during school opening and closing times. Additionally, a hospital by its very nature has overnight occupants. A lot of the square footage will be associated with hospital beds. That means less daily car traffic. A hospital has less people per square foot. A commercial office space will be more dense. Also, a commercial office park will have no one around during the night, could lead to an increase chance for vandalism or criminal activity. Drive around Loudoun Hospital during the day and/or night and you can test this theory. All this is opinion.

2. Maybe the increased business will help Safeway become a viable grocer. Maybe the stock turn over in the store will increase leading to less expired product issues.

3. As for Belmont Ridge Road enhancements. You maybe right about most Broadland residents not using the road improvements to go to the hospital, but I guarantee the kids of Broadlands will be using that road improvement to go to Briar Woods H.S.

 

Good stuff,
1. The vandalism will happen no matter what goes there, but there should be more of a Police presence at a Hospital than an office complex. It just may be a different kind (Auto type B&E, instead of B&E of offices stealing equipment).

I have not been on the paths recently, but the last time I was (Early spring) there were beer cans on some of the stops along the way. The parcel that is is being given to the HOA will have an impact on loitering/vandalism that could have an effect on the residents on Broadlands Blvd. Has a decision been made as to what to do with it or is it still being discussed?

2. Don't think the Hospital will have much impact on Safeway's inventory. Most folks at the Hospital won't be coming in for lettuce. The prepared foods though may improve in quality. But, an office complex may as people stop on the way home to pick things up.

3. Yeah, I agree but I don't like thinking of the kids in school buses vs. dump trucks. Didn't like it last year and that was just the Elem. school kids. I don't want to think about 16 yr olds!

This is good,

 

In truth, the trucks (generlization) will speed on a 2 lane road as easily as a 4 lane road. A new divided 4 lane road with curbs and better sight lines will be significantly safer IMO.

Let's not forget the 4 acre lot for recreational use too. Doubt an office complex will kick that in.

 

Mr. Rogers,

Perhaps you don't understand the process since you are arguing for "the best" location. Loudoun residents could argue about it for years I am sure and never reach a consensus. People on these forums have pointed out their favorite spots and argued why they would be better/best.

Bottom line is that we residents don't decide where is the best location to invest $200 million+ into building a new hospital. We don't know all the factors that go into such a decision including infrastructure and need assessments etc. Virginia has a process to ensure that hospitals are built based only on need and any organization that wants to build one has to get a Certificate of Public Need before they can do so. HCA has a COPN which is specific to the site in Broadlands which means the VA health commissioner agreed that there is a need at this location. It also means HCA can't just move it to another spot if they feel like it.

All hospitals are businesses and must take many factors into consideration before they decide to invest in building a new hospital. HCA has done this and determined that there is a need for a new hospital in Loudoun and that the proposed location is at the center of the current population and future growth. BRMC is also directly next to the county's only freeway and a major north south artery providing easy access. These are the same reasons why Clyde's chose Broadlands and also why Loudoun County chose to build the school admin building here. Have you checked out what a by-right office park could look like compared to BRMC? Buildings much closer to homes, tiny buffer, lots of surface parking with lights on 24/7, significantly more peak traffic. Is that really what you want? The property is not going to remain undeveloped. An office park would also mean no money to widen Belmont Ridge.

Its not just about drive times either. It takes me about 15 minutes to get Inova today and thats not a problem. The problem is they are over capacity on many occasions and there are services and specialists they just don't offer. Several people I have heard from recently have experienced excessive wait times to get a room there despite very serious injuries. JGAMOM mentioned this also. Some have to travel long distances to go to hospitals in DC or further. Our populations is projected to grow from 280,000 today to 388,000 in 10 years. Hospital beds are insufficient today but in a few years it will be a crisis. Its also a fact that anyone who lives in Brambleton or Dulles south will find BRMC more convenient, especially when they widen Belmont Ridge.

I honestly don't understand why someone would buy a house backing to or nearby a major commercial zone and collector road and then become upset when businesses try to build commercial projects there? That continues to be the reality of the opposition. They want a hospital but just not so close to their house. The BRMC property backs to The Greenway and was zoned commercial for millions of square feet of commercial property before any homes were built in Broadlands. Later this year Broadlands Blvd. will be connected to Belmont Ridge and traffic will increase. Something is going to be built on that property soon. If the property is sold and built by right, residents won't have any say just as we didn't with the school admin bldg. BRMC is by far the better option in my view.

Skins fan

 

Thank you for your thoughtful response. You make many good points about the need for additional hospital beds, the time that it could take for approval for another hospital.

Pehaps my view of the hospital is culturally skewed by my upbringing in the 70's and 80's. Growing up in New England, all of the hospitals in each of the 3 states that I lived were located in urban/commercial areas. All of the hospitals were in neighborhoods that were high crime, low rent, and weren't that way before the hospitals were built. In fact, one hospital is in what was one of the wealthiest areas, with beautiful mansions from the 1700 and 1800's. All of these beautiful homes have been split into multi-family apartments or commercial use/apartment. This decline didn't happen in a year, it occured slowly over many decades.

This is my fear for our neighborhood.

 

The COPN is for a Hospital for Region 8, which includes the Broadlands area and Route 50 and not for a specific site. If the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors want to move the Hosptial to Route 50, they can, without delay.

They hosptial plans set forth in 2005 and 2008 are indentical, with the exception of no Heliport. If the hospital is built, they will be back to the BOS for the Heliport to say they are the only hosptial without one. So, the BOS will be backed into a corner to approve it and they will.

Then comes the expansion, which will be vertical, as thay can not expand out as it is 57 acres, so add another large building.

So, we wil go through this every 3 years.

 

It was my understanding that COPN approvals ARE based on the specific requested application site.

So your statement has me confused...Can anyone else explain how HCA's COPN (BRMC) could transfer to Route 50?

As for HCA's application - it was my understanding that HCA withdrew the ADULT phsy beds and alocated ALL the original 40 requested beds to adolescent pshy/mental care.

 

Hospital Mortality

I read a CNN article about a hospital mortality study that allows you to see how your hospitals did against others in a few heart related areas. Out of curiosity I looked up Loudoun and compared it with Inova Fair Oaks and renowned Washington Hospital Center and was surprised by the results seen at this link:

http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/...|490043&Hospital=10|490101&Hospital=10|090011

Made me feel pretty good about Loudoun's current hospital. Check out the site...

 

MLB, the transportability of an issued COPN is news to me. Can you point us to your source, or provide background as to how you came to the conclusion?

The Commonwealth of Virginia application for a hospital COPN ( http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/OLC/Downloadables/index.htm ) is very specific. I don't have the BRMC version of this but looking at the application it clearly asks for site specific details to include cost and size of the facility and availability of utilities. It also asks for a specific address.

Assuming your transportability theory is correct, if HCA really wanted to game the system and had an opportunity to "move" approved COPNs, it might have been easier to get a COPN for Rt 50 and then summarily move the project to Broadlands.

Secondly, can you explain what you mean by Region 8?