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Riverside says Smithfield hospital will open in January 2026, outlines services and hiring plans
Summary
Riverside Health System told the Surry County Board that Riverside Smithfield Hospital will open in January 2026 as a 50‑bed facility with a 24/7 emergency department, outpatient clinics and a medical office building opening in August; the system plans to recruit about 200 positions.
Jessica Magalino, president of Riverside Smithfield Hospital, told the Surry County Board of Supervisors that construction on the new Smithfield hospital is nearing completion and the facility is scheduled to open in January 2026.
The hospital will include 50 inpatient beds — 32 medical‑surgical, 12 intensive‑care and six future obstetric beds — four operating rooms, two procedure rooms and a full, 24‑hour emergency department with diagnostic imaging (CT, MRI, ultrasound and X‑ray). Magalino said Riverside also will open the Jameson Longford Medical Office building on the same campus in August 2025, with about 20,000 square feet and roughly 40 exam rooms for outpatient specialties and physical therapy.
Magalino said the project responds to persistent access problems in Isle of Wight and Surry counties, which Riverside and county staff described as federally designated medically underserved areas where many residents travel more than 30 minutes for inpatient or emergency care. “We are now about 6 to 8 months out from opening,” Magalino said, adding that Riverside records show more than 6,000 residents from the relevant ZIP codes currently travel annually to Riverside facilities for care.
Riverside outlined services it plans to provide locally: general medicine, emergency care, cardiac and vascular care, neurology (stroke), general surgery, orthopedics and follow‑up outpatient services. The system also emphasized telemedicine capabilities to supplement in‑person specialists as the hospital builds patient volume and recruits permanent physicians.
On staffing, Magalino said Riverside expects to recruit more than 200 positions over the next six to eight months and that recruitment will proceed in phases — leadership, then supervisory and frontline staff. She said some physician specialties will begin as rotations from Riverside’s Newport News providers until local full‑time hires are in place; the hospital has already recruited a total‑joint surgeon who will start in August.
Board members thanked Riverside for the presentation and for the hospital’s planned local jobs. Supervisor Hardy noted the emergency response time benefits of a nearby facility; Supervisor Pierce highlighted workforce opportunities for local graduates.
Magalino and county officials said Riverside is scheduling patients for the new clinics and will share contact information as it becomes available. The board did not take any formal action on the presentation.
