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This article was written by WTOP’s news partner, InsideNoVa.com, and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
Inova Health System has received state approval to build a new hospital in the Franconia area of southern Fairfax County.
Inova announced Wednesday that the Virginia Department of Health had approved its Certificate of Public Need for the facility. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the hospital system’s land-use applications last year.
The new hospital will be built on land next to Inova’s existing Franconia-Springfield HealthPlex and within walking distance of the Franconia-Springfield Metro and Virginia Railway Express stations.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to bring inpatient care to the community we have served for many years,” said Dr. J. Stephen Jones, president and CEO of Inova.
Rodney Lusk, who represents the Franconia District on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, said he was delighted by the state’s approval. “Inova has been our community’s trusted health partner at this location for many years, and this expansion of that collaboration will improve the health and economic vitality of our community for generations to come.”
The Franconia hospital will be one of two replacement hospitals for the current Inova Alexandria Hospital on Seminary Road. The other location will be at the WestEnd Town Center (formerly Landmark Mall) in the city of Alexandria.
The initial phase of the Franconia-Springfield project will include an inpatient facility with 110 beds spread across two towers. The hospital will include private rooms, an expanded emergency room, diagnostic imaging and multiple procedural rooms. An adjacent building will offer a variety of outpatient services, including ambulatory surgery, physician offices and procedural rooms.
The existing HealthPlex will be linked to the hospital through internal road and walkway connections. The emergency room at the HealthPlex will be expanded and relocated into the hospital.
During construction of the new buildings, patients will continue to have access to the emergency room, physical therapy, physician offices and other clinical operations at the Franconia-Springfield HealthPlex, Inova said.
Construction on the new hospital is slated to begin in 2024 and to be completed in 2028.
Inova said it has made several commitments to environmental sustainability on the site, including LEED Silver certification. The campus will include nearly 2 acres of park space with walking trails and benches available for public use. Inova said it will maintain 30% open space on the property and will maximize preservation of mature trees along the north side of the property and near the intersection of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway and Beulah Street.
