3 Reasons Women's Imaging Services Don't Belong in Sentara Edinburgh

Situation

Sentara is currently asking for approval to place women’s imaging services into their Edinburgh facility alongside existing primary care and pediatric practices. Although they are asking for one permit for women’s imaging now, which will be detrimental to Chesapeake Regional, Sentara’s tradition of adding to buildings such as their Edinburgh site leads us to believe they will eventually add more to it, taking away from Chesapeake.

CRH Position

We believe this proposal is not in the best interests of the community’s actual needs, creates a duplication of services and is another step in Sentara’s overarching plan to monopolize all care in Hampton Roads to eliminate choice among competitors.

Request

We are asking Chesapeake City Council to consider the impact if approval is given for this request as CRH’s ability to serve Chesapeake will be significantly diminished if Sentara is allowed to target the most lucrative services provided by Chesapeake Regional.                                                                                                                    

1. Sentara has a history of building out facilities by starting small and then progressing to freestanding emergency rooms (which do not require a COPN) and even micro-hospitals (as evidenced by the Sentara Port Warwick facility that opened in 2002 within minutes of Riverside) and the newest facility, Sentara Bell Harbor (near Bon Secours Maryview and Bon Secours Harbor View)
   1. Once Sentara develops Edinburgh to mirror Port Warwick, the estimated annual CRH margin reduction approaches $10 million
2. In the short term, estimated imaging market share within Southern Chesapeake shows Chesapeake Regional Healthcare’s strong value, commitment and quality.
   1. Chesapeake Regional Healthcare meets the needs of Southern Chesapeake residents by providing 75% of all mammograms
   2. Thames of Sentara stated at the 10/17 Chesapeake City Council meeting that once Sentara Princess Anne’s Breast Center opens in Edinburgh “no less than 500 mammograms per month”
   3. This would be a total of 6,000 mammograms in a year- 100% of our business
3. Sentara’s intent is to develop a freestanding emergency department and/or micro-hospital with surgical capabilities and ‘push’ follow-up services requiring surgery or a hospital stay to its facilities in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, thus affecting the ability of CRH to continue providing life-saving services to the Chesapeake community:
   1. The estimated annual CRH margin reduction approaches $10 million (assuming a 50% loss of relevant volumes)
   2. Jobs will be significantly eliminated – eventually, at least 250 jobs
   3. The independent physicians providing care to the residents of Chesapeake will be dramatically affected.
      • Do you want to lose your local physicians?
      • Do you want to see your community hospital lose its vitality and ability to serve future generations?

Final Remarks

This project’s undertaking is contrary to the mission of nonprofits and is not in the public’s best interest as the city’s economy stands to lose jobs and lose revenue to neighboring cities. Chesapeake is best served by CRH and Sentara partnering to meet residents’ needs in the markets where their respective service areas overlap rather than duplicating services.