Virginia Beach, Va. (May 17, 2007) – Representatives from Bon Secours Hampton Roads (BSHR), along with Virginia Beach city officials and other community leaders, formally opened the new Bon Secours Health Center at Virginia Beach with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Wednesday, May 16.

This opening represents the first major Bon Secours facility in Virginia Beach, marking the health system’s entry into the state’s largest city. The 85,000-square foot center provides a variety of health care services for residents, including advanced imaging, laboratory services, ambulatory surgery, physical therapy and sports performance, and offices for primary care and specialist physicians. The facility also houses a community room for health education programs.

Left to Right:  Daniel Duggan, Executive Vice President/Administrator, Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center; James Caplan, Jaffe, Caplan & Fleder; Andrew Lawler, Lauth Company; Kristi Sink, Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center; Daniel Baxter, Virginia Beach Federation of Civic Leagues; Rosemary Wilson, Virginia Beach City Council; Phil Kellam, Virginia Beach City Treasurer; Louis Jones, Vice-Mayor, City of Virginia Beach; The Honorable Meyer Oberndorf, Mayor, City of Virginia Beach; Harry Lester, President, Eastern Virginia Medical School; Wayne Sawyer, Chair, Bon Secours Hampton Roads Board of Directors; Harry Diezel, Virginia Beach City Council; Louisa Strayhorn, Director, Virginia Department of Business Assistance; and Richard Hanson, CEO, Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System.

“We’re excited about this opportunity to provide a choice of health care providers for Virginia Beach residents,” said Bon Secours Hampton Roads’ Chief Executive Officer Richard A. Hanson  “City leaders invited us to serve the unique health care needs of this community, and Bon Secours is committed to offering high quality services for Virginia Beach residents.”

The new facility is located on a 13-acre parcel along South Plaza Trail, between the heavily populated Kempsville and Princess Anne areas of Virginia Beach. This convenient location will enable Bon Secours to serve a large segment of the community.

Among the first services to be offered at the new health center is In Motion Physical Therapy, previously located on Holland Road. The new state-of-the-art physical therapy center, which opened in early April, offers many programs unique to the Hampton Roads community.  Physical therapy programs include: general orthopedic rehabilitation, aquatic physical therapy, sports rehabilitation, McKenzie Certified therapy, foot and ankle programming, senior balance programming, orthotic fabrication and worker’s compensation rehabilitation services. The facility also features a Hydroworx pool with resistance jets, underwater treadmill and underwater video analysis.  In addition, the center offers hand therapy, functional capacity evaluations and a sports performance center.

Bon Secours developed the new ambulatory surgery center in partnership with United Surgical Partners. Alongside physician partners, an experienced team of nurse leaders will focus on delivering high quality surgical services and exceptional customer service for patients and families. The surgery center has two operating suites and a special procedures room. Surgeons will be able to perform a wide range of outpatient orthopedic, podiatric, cosmetic and ophthalmologic procedures. Iris Welsch, RN, MHA, is the center’s administrator. Previously, Welsch served as vice president of patient care services and chief nurse executive at Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center.

The facility’s imaging center offers advanced diagnostic imaging capability, including a 64-slice CT, a large-bore high magnetic field 1.5 tesla mobile MRI unit that is shared with the Bon Secours Health Center at Harbour View, ultrasound, and a traditional radiographic and fluoroscopic unit. The center’s medical director is James C. Mosure M.S., M.D., F.A.C.R., president of MS Imaging, Inc., in Virginia Beach.

The cost of developing the Bon Secours Health Center at Virginia Beach is approximately $18 million. BSHR worked with Lauth, one of the largest developers and contractors in the United States, with significant expertise in health care facilities.

“It’s been our pleasure to work with Bon Secours on this important project for the city of Virginia Beach,” said Andy Lawler, Vice President of Healthcare at Lauth. “Bon Secours has made a significant investment in the community, and together, we have created a first-class facility that residents will really appreciate when the need arises for medical care.”