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Sentara Williamsburg outlines new services, trauma designation and community health assessment ask
Summary
Sentara Williamsburg reported rising emergency-department volumes, plans to add interventional radiology and Shockwave treatment, and said it expects to apply for Level 3 trauma designation in early summer. The hospital asked the public to participate in its community health needs assessment.
Dr. Amber Price, president of Sentara Williamsburg, told the York County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 21 that the hospital is expanding services and staffing to serve a larger and older regional population.
"We are seeing record volumes in our emergency department," Dr. Price said, and noted that Sentara Williamsburg now treats more than 40,000 emergency-department patients a year. She said the hospital has hired more than 30 physicians over three years and has added services that reduce the need to transfer critically ill patients out of the county.
Dr. Price said the hospital expects to be designated a Level 3 trauma center in early summer and has launched an internal trauma program with a newly recruited trauma surgeon. She also highlighted plans for interventional radiology, Shockwave technology for clearing arterial calcium, a telesitting hub for patient monitoring, and a new obstetric-gynecologic emergency department opening March 18.
"We were named by Newsweek as one of the best hospitals in the world," Dr. Price told the board, and listed several awards including Healthgrades patient-safety recognition and a 16-year A grade from Leapfrog.
On community outreach, Dr. Price asked York County residents to participate in Sentara's community health needs assessment (CHNA). "This is how we know what the pressing issues are in community," she said, noting past CHNA results that placed behavioral health and chronic disease at the top of local priorities.
Board members asked about geographic reach; Dr. Price said Sentara serves patients from within about 30 miles and across the Peninsula and into Richmond. Supervisors also asked about telemedicine use; Dr. Price said virtual psychiatry and tele-stroke support are important tools but that patients and physicians continue to value in-person relationships.
Why it matters: Sentara Williamsburg's expansion of inpatient and emergency services will likely mean more local capacity for trauma care, stroke and cardiac interventions, and obstetric emergencies, which could affect EMS routing and regional patient flows. The CHNA will help identify priority health needs and guide grantmaking and community partnerships.
Provenance: Presentation and Q&A by Dr. Amber Price recorded beginning at 00:40:18 on Jan. 21.
