Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center would like to open a CT scanning facility on the campus of John Tyler Community College in Chester.
The hospital, which is based at 13710 St. Francis Blvd. in Midlothian, submitted a letter of intent on Aug. 31 to file a certificate of public need with the state Department of Health’s Office of Licensure and Certification.
Chris Accashian, the medical center’s chief executive officer, recently requested that interested members of the public submit comments about the proposal to the state agency in support of the project.
An earlier request to build such a facility was turned down by the state agency, according to Accashian.
The medical center is proposing to build a free-standing emergency and imaging center on 1.5 acres at the intersection of John Tyler Drive and Jefferson Davis Highway.
Senior citizens are the fastest-growing age group in the Chester area, growing at five times faster than the population overall. “We must be responsive to their needs,” Accashian said in an email.
“The demand for emergent care visits is expected to continue to grow in the next 10 years, so we need to build this infrastructure to meet that need,” he said.
He noted that CT imaging is a critical modality that differentiates an emergency department from an urgent care center or a retail health clinic, which is why St. Francis filed the request with the state agency.
“We are seeking letters of support from any and all members of the public,” said Emma Swann, public relations manager at Bon Secours Richmond Health System.
“Those who wish to express support for the project, known as COPN VA-8409, are invited to email their letter to Bridget Fitzpatrick, Director of Operations, Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center at [email protected] or [call](804) 594-7841. Please include the project name (COPN VA-8409) in the letter.”
“The long distance many residents have to travel to access CT scanning, emergency services and health care compels us to further distribute our services throughout the service area. For these reasons, St. Francis has re-submitted its application for this project,” Swann said.
