Braden Health says hospital renovation underway; no reopening date announced

Braden Health representatives told the Patrick County Board of Supervisors that work is underway to renovate the former Pioneer (Stewart) hospital and that major infrastructure tasks remain before patient services resume.

The update matters because the county has lacked local inpatient services since the facility closed; Braden Health said restoring the hospital would reduce long emergency transports for local residents.

Kyle Kopec, co-founder and chief compliance officer for Braden Health, and on-site project manager Larry Henson described completed and ongoing work: roof sections replaced or nearly finished; relabeled and replumbed medical gas lines with preparations for external oxygen tanks and pads; sewage and plumbing overhauls; and mold mitigation performed by a contractor who isolated affected areas. The team said asbestos abatement and final piping inspections could affect the timeline, so the company would not announce a projected opening date until those items are resolved.

Kopec said Braden Health has engaged the Virginia Department of Health’s rural health office and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regional office to coordinate regulatory inspections. Glenn Mooney, a local hospital liaison, noted that Braden representatives have met with EMS and air-ambulance crews to discuss landing and transfer logistics.

Company officials invited supervisors and county staff to tour the facility and pointed to other Braden Health projects in Lexington, Brownsville and other towns as examples of completed work. Supervisors and several attendees praised the visible progress and said they appreciated the engagement with local emergency responders.

No formal county action was required; Braden Health’s presentation was informational. The company said it will provide additional regulatory and construction updates when available.