Bon Secours, Sentara to Collaborate on Princess Ann...( Proposed 200-bed facility would serve...),Health

Proposed 200-bed facility would serve current and future community needs

RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Two of Virginia's largest and most viable healthcare systems are joining forces to build a 200-bed hospital in Virginia Beach.

Sentara Healthcare (www.sentara.com) and Bon Secours Virginia (www.bonsecours.com) have agreed to collaborate in building Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, targeted to open in 2010.

The agreement calls for each hospital system to operate hospital-related services on their respective outpatient campuses, also located in Virginia Beach.

Sentara, which currently has a pending Certificate of Public Need (COPN) application with the [Virginia] State Health Commission, will resubmit its application next month to reflect the new proposal for a single 200-bed facility on the Sentara Princess Anne Health Campus, using inpatient beds relocated from Sentara Bayside and Bon Secours DePaul hospitals. The revised COPN application will seek approval for the joint ventured facility.

"The collaboration of two competing health systems is a major step forward and a tremendous benefit to the community," said Peter J. Bernard, senior vice president and CEO of Bon Secours Virginia. "It is clear from both perspectives that serving the community is a priority."

According to leadership of Bon Secours and Sentara, the hospitals are setting aside a long and costly appeal process in favor of collaborating on a shared, not-for-profit mission to meet the medical needs of the community. By collaborating, they are able to jointly provide inpatient care to southern Virginia Beach residents in a more cost effective and timely manner.

"This combined hospital is an efficient use of resources that allows us both to
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