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Hospital saga nears a vote
Sometime between now and the middle of May, the Board of Supervisors will vote to allow construction of Broadlands Regional Medical Center in Ashburn, or to reject the application.
In 2005, the previous board rejected a nearly identical application, citing negative effects on the neighborhood and the residents' legitimate expectations when they bought into that development. The three who voted "yes" at that time were re-elected in 2008 and will vote again this time – Sally Kurtz (D-Catoctin), Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) and Chairman Scott York (I-at large).
Burton said at that time he had no liking for HCA. "But we must decide on land use," he said in 2005, and HCA had, in his opinion, fulfilled the requirements of the zoning ordinance.
The issues haven't changed since BRMC was first proposed in 2002: Is it possible to mitigate the impacts of a 24/7 hospital in a residential neighborhood? Do the positives – millions of dollars to the county to improve Belmont Ridge Road, site design that would move the hospital back from the closest residents and preserve trees, the addition of hospital beds and services to a fast-growing county, millions of dollars in taxes and the addition of up to 600 jobs – outweigh the negatives?
Will putting two hospitals so close spur healthy competition, or result in a cutthroat battle for patient dollars, which will prevent either from adding higher-level medical services now lacking in the county?
We asked the leaders at HCA and at Inova Loudoun Hospital, the existing nonprofit hospital that has fought the application since it was first filed, to answer those questions. We also spoke with two Broadlands residents, one in favor of the project, the other opposed.
Here are their ideas, in their own words: HCA, Inova Loudoun.
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