Richmond City Council inches closer to a freestanding children’s hospital

In light of VCU and Bon Secours pulling funding from a proposed freestanding children’s hospital on North Boulevard, proponents have until December to move forward before the council revisits seeking alternate proposals for the project.

Council members Reva Trammell, Charles Samuels, Jonathan Baliles and Parker Agelasto voted against advancing the legislation advocating for the children’s hospital project, which saw a recent revival after a near-fatal blow in May when VCU and Bon Secours pulled out their funding and support.

“We read the tea leaves, and we said simply: We don’t believe this decision to be wise, not for us as institutions and not for the community,” said John Duval, VCU Health System’s top hospital executive. “There are better ways for us to spend our energy.”

In June and July, administrators from VCU and Bon Secours reaffirmed their decision to withdraw from talks. Although VCU is the leading healthcare provider for specialized children’s care in the region, executives said the hospital, as envisioned, would cost about $1 billion over 10 years.

“No one that I’m aware of, across the United States, is building independent, freestanding hospitals of any kind,” said Toni Ardabell, chief executive officer of Bon Secours. “Adult, children. It’s just not done.”

In July, members of the Virginia Children’s Hospital Alliance met individually with all members of Richmond City Council to make their case ahead of an effort to quicken symbolic legislation.

Despite advocates who went to lobby council, Duval and Ardabell said it doesn’t change citing consolidation in the health insurance industry, the uncertainty over political issues like Medicaid expansion and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the pressure to keep costs down by scaling up and a renewed emphasis on preventive medicine intended to circumvent hospital visits altogether.

“If there’s truly something that is better for the community, we’re all in it,” Ardabell said.

“But from the way I see the world and the community needs and the future of health care, the best thing we can do for our children in this community is make sure they eat, make sure they’re mentored, make sure they can avoid violence, make sure they understand good nutrition and that we provide it for them. And we’ll have less kids in the hospital.”

Expected costs of about $1 billion over 10 years was a major consideration for the health systems. Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones and a grassroots group of pediatricians have kept up the pressure, much of it directed at council members.

The legislation was patroned by Jones and council members Michelle Mosby, Ellen Robertson, Cynthia Newbille and Kathy Graziano.

“Everyone is anxious to improve children’s health in the region,” Graziano said after the vote. “The group putting this together needed some more time to come forward with their plan, so we proposed this resolution in support of their efforts to let them know we stand with them. It was only expedited because we don’t meet in August.”

A large portion of council members’ concern with the creation of the hospital comes from a clause directing city staff to. “Study ways to advance economic development on the Boulevard that could include medical office buildings, hotels, restaurants, residential and other uses, anchored by a children’s hospital,” without any guarantee that the project could survive without partnering health systems.

“(Support from the council is) the right thing to do,” said Councilwoman Ellen Robertson, 6th District. “The language is really irrelevant.”

Trammell said she supported the effort but not the tactics of the administration, which she said tried to ram the resolution through without answering questions. She voted against the project in July and against the clause at a Sept. 14 meeting.

People in support of the project said they had been pushed into the middle of a disagreement that was irrelevant to their mission.

“We are for the children of this community, it’s that simple,” said Katherine Busser, CEO of the Virginia Children’s Hospital Alliance, which lobbied council members individually for their support. “There are other interested parties and there are other paths forward, but we don’t think any of them would be as great as having the home team make this happen. We still think the best way to build the children’s hospital for our region is with VCU and Bon Secours as our partners.”

The resolution approved on Sept. 14 said the Richmond metro area’s lack of a freestanding facility was an abnormality among similar-size cities.

“We are continuing to have active discussions with all three health care systems (in the area),” said Melissa Nelson, a doctor at Pediatricians Associated to Care for Kids. “This isn’t about VCU, it’s not about Bon Secours, it’s not about HCA; it’s about the children that we have to take care of.”

Hospital proponents have until December to move forward before the council revisits seeking alternate proposals for the Boulevard site.

Sophia Belletti, Staff Writer

Sophia is a sophomore journalism major who writes for the Odyssey in addition to the news, sports and spectrum sections of the CT. Sophia also works in sales at Nordstrom and likes hiking and going to concerts. // Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

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