HoodaThunk?

The subject of the Broadlands Regional Medical Center (BRMC) has been a contentious thorn in Loudoun’s side for over 5 years. I’ve written about it on and off for a year, myself. The issue is coming to a decision soon and it’s time to take a clear look at things.

Fact: the statewide agency responsible for looking at the need for new medical facilities issued a Certification of Public Need (COPN) for a new hospital back in 2003, now over 5 years ago. Now, what does that mean for us today? It means, simply put, that the population density of Loudoun County, specifically in the eastern part of the county, was sufficient to support another hospital. That was in 2003 and we’ve not lost any population since then. In fact, it’s been growing at a rate equal to or in excess of the growth rate of any other locality in the United States. In other words, if we could support another hospital in 2003, we can sure support one today. And we’re clearly way behind the average number of available beds:

(That’s us, way over there to the right with the lowest number of beds. You’ll note we’re not even 25% of the national average.)

Much has been made of the argument that the opposition advances that they’re not against another hospital in Loudoun, just that it shouldn’t go in the Broadlands location. They argue that the next hospital should be down south in the Route 50 corridor because that’s where a facility would offer more efficient coverage. That might be true, if the population density of Loudoun’s land mass was uniformly distributed. I’ve said it before: the approach of putting hospitals in locations such that the pins marking their spots on the map are evenly spaced with no regard to population density is a foolish method. The hospitals aren’t there to service “x” number of square miles of land. They exist to provide medical care to people and people don’t live evenly spaced across Loudoun County. The population in the South Riding area might, indeed, get to be high enough to support a hospital of their own some day. They aren’t there today and the Brambleton/Broadlands area is. Do we hold off for another 5 years, leaving these residents to have to negotiate jammed highways and a warren of neighborhood surface roads in order to get to medical care?

The argument that the BRMC is too close to Inova also fails the real world test. As I’ve already mentioned in the past, the distance between Reston Hospital and Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax is pretty close, too, and no one is arguing that either one is starving the other. The population density surrounding those 2 hospitals supports having them, plain and simple. We in Loudoun are in a similar situation and there’s no reason to think we can’t support both, too. The suggestion that having both in the positions they’re in would cause one or even both to fail is a scare tactic.

Also a scare tactic is the suggestion that allowing the BRMC to be built would cause other healthcare facilities to not be built or even existing ones to close. First, it’s impossible for anyone to claim that if South Riding were to suddenly grow to the same density as Sterling that no one would support having a hospital there. Ridiculous. Of course it would be supported. It’s nothing more than an attempt to spook people into saying no. Ditto the concept that the existence of the BRMC would require the closure of Cornwall in Leesburg.

That last one about Cornwall is a fascinating statement by Inova. They claim they might not be able to support it. Curious that an entity with $2 billion in reserve and a $21 million annual profit reported might consider themselves unable to continue to support the facility. Sounds more like a veiled threat to me: “Nice medical center ya got there. Be a shame if something were to happen to it. Supporting that hospital those other guys are trying to build might, you know, make something happen to it.” Besides, it’s a moot point. HCA has already promised to step up and support Cornwall should Inova find themselves unable.

Children’s National Medical Center has committed to bring world-class pediatrics to BRMC. Inova has fine pediatrics, too, but when an outfit of the credentials of Children’s signs on board, that says something about the commitment the associated hospital is showing.

Competition is a good thing, too. There’s been much made by Inova of the services they offer and they’re quick to point out they offer services BRMC has committed. That’s true – now. Before the BRMC made their application there were plenty of services Inova didn’t offer. They didn’t start adding those services until they were faced with incoming competition. Now, perhaps they would have gotten around to adding those services anyway. But perhaps not, and they likely would have taken a lot longer than they did. The competition from another hospital, even one that wasn’t built yet, put the pressure on them to start offering the medical services the community needed.

Our local economy badly needs new business and that’s where the for-profit nature of HCA’s BRMC would be a benefit, not the boogeyman issue Inova claims it is. BRMC is estimated to bring in 600 new jobs, $4 million a year in tax revenue, and $14 million in road and infrastructure improvements. A hospital is supposed to be more than a tax generator, but Loudoun needs the jobs and they need the money. Having the new hospital would also attract supporting services which would also bring in jobs and tax revenue, all without the impact of additional residential growth. And BRMC is committed to completing LEED certification to make sure their facility is a minimal impact to the environment.

The pros and cons have been bandied about for years, now, and while that’s happened more Loudouners have had more need for more medical facilities here in the county. The arguments against are little more than scare tactics and misrepresentations. We need this and we needed it yesterday. The Loudoun Board of Supervisors should vote to approve the BRMC and allow this building to start. Let’s get this going and turn to the other issues facing us.