Henrico Doctors’ Hospital will close its pediatric and pediatric intensive care units, representing one of the first major changes in how local health systems treat patients since the pandemic began.
A patient is wheeled out HCA’s Henrico Doctors’ new main entrance off Discovery Drive.
The two units, located on the Forest campus, will close April 1, hospital CEO Ryan Jensen said in a letter last week, calling the market for pediatric inpatient care “well served.”
“As a result, these opportunities are less abundant for our team to maintain their highest acuity skills,” Jensen said. “In addition, it has become clear that we must focus our care teams’ efforts on the increased demand for adult inpatient medical and surgical care, more specifically the women’s health population.”
HCA Health System, which owns the hospital and others in the area, will try to transfer affected employees to avoid job losses, a spokesperson for the health system said.
Henrico Doctors’ will repurpose the space for other departments and consolidate its pediatric and PICU care at Chippenham Hospital, the largest HCA facility in the area.
HCA, one of the largest employers in the Richmond area, operates six hospitals in greater Richmond: Henrico Doctors’, Parham Doctors’, Retreat Doctors’, Chippenham, Johnston-Willis and John Randolph. Chippenham’s pediatric services include a burn unit and inpatient psychiatric department at Tucker Pavilion. There are 52 HCA locations throughout the state.
