VCU Health System, Children's Hospital join operations today

Wanted: 30 pediatric specialists in areas such as critical care, kidney disease, lung disease, rehabilitation, autism, endocrinology, oncology, sickle
cell disease and more.

Children's Hospital in North Richmond today becomes part of the VCU Health System, giving the health system additional presence in the Richmond area and beyond while providing a boost to VCU's pediatric research, patient care and training missions.

With the combined operations, VCU officials are looking for additional medical experts to handle an expanded patient base.

The merger comes after years of on-again, off-again efforts to align the nonprofit, private, specialty pediatric hospital with the major health system or to bring area health systems together to create a children's hospital
for the region.

"I have to take in the moment," said Leslie G. Wyatt, who closed her eyes and spread her arms yesterday during a program at which the new logo and name were unveiled.

The agreement "marks a beginning of a new journey that many of us have only dared to dream about," said Wyatt, who moves from being the president and CEO of Children's Hospital to vice president of children's services for the VCU Heath System.

The arrangement brings into the VCU fold the hospital at 2924 Brook Road and children's outpatient therapy centers in Fredericksburg, western Henrico County, Petersburg and Chesterfield County.

From a marketing perspective, the merger probably will help VCU, said Karen Cameron, chief executive officer of the Central Virginia Health Planning Agency, an independent review agency.

"They will maybe be viewed in the community as the most comprehensive, because they will have inpatient, outpatient and therapies."

In addition, she said, having additional off-campus locations may be more attractive and convenient for families.

The new entity is known as the Children's Hospital of Richmond. Children's Hospital's approximately 350 employees now work for the VCU Health System.

"It's been long in coming," said Lawrence McAndrews, president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, based in Alexandria.

"I, myself, have met with civic leaders and members of the boards for maybe 15 years and have talked to them about the value that could be brought to children in the community bringing together the resources of these two organizations," McAndrews said.

He explained that pediatric specialists, like other specialists, need a crucial volume of patients to have a viable practice. The joint operation broadens the patient base for specialists recruited to VCU.

"We already work with well more than 100 surgical and pediatric specialists and subspecialists. We begin now recruiting 30 more," said Dr. Bruce Rubin, chairman of pediatrics department at VCU.

In the arrangement, Children's Hospital's assets now are part of the VCU Health System, said John Duval, chief executive officer of MCV Hospitals, part of the VCU Health System.

"It continues on as a subsidiary within the broader health system," he said.

Dozens of VCU and Children's Hospital employees gathered yesterday at the Brook Road campus for yesterday's formalities.

Children's Hospital sits on 14 acres in North Richmond, on land that is separate from additional acreage controlled by the Children's Hospital Foundation, which has raised funds for the hospital. Duval said the foundation becomes an independent foundation.
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Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or TLsmith@timesdispatch.com.

Children's Hospital, Richmond
Location: 2924 Brook Road
Net patient revenue, 2008: $11,822,954
Revenue and gains in excess of expenses, 2008: $1,309,091
Total assets minus liabilities, 2008: $124,504,893
Beds: 47-bed transitional-care unit providing around-the-clock skilled nursing for transitional, palliative, long-term and end-of-life care.
Employees: about 350 full time and part time
Services: Assistive technology, children's feeding program, dental infant services, motion analysis, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapy, psychology/neuropsychology, speech therapy, transitional-care unit
Other locations: Bon Air Therapy Center, 206 Twinridge Lane, Richmond; Glen Allen Therapy Center, 10124 W. Broad St.; Fredericksburg Therapy Center, Lee's Hill Medical Center, 10530 Spotsylvania Ave., Fredericksburg; Petersburg Therapy Center, 321 B Poplar Drive, Petersburg
SOURCES: Virginia Health Information Industry Reports, Children's Hospital annual report, Times-Dispatch archives