Culpeper Medical Center asks supervisors for letter supporting intermediate care nursery COPN

Donna Staten, introduced as president and chief operating officer of Culpeper Medical Center, asked the board for a letter of support for a Certificate of Public Need to upgrade the hospital’s general newborn nursery to an intermediate care nursery.

Staten said births at the hospital have increased from roughly 400 to about 625 annually and that 10–12% of infants typically require a higher level of care; she estimated that an intermediate care nursery could allow the hospital to care for roughly 60 additional infants locally and reduce transfers to UVA‑Charlottesville and other higher‑level centers. The application is governed by the Virginia Department of Health COPN process; the hospital expects to submit its application in early July and to receive a decision around December, with implementation (if approved) taking about 12 months.

The request for a letter of support was placed on the consent agenda and will be provided to the hospital per the board’s usual practices. Board members expressed support for keeping care local and for the hospital’s planning to meet projected population growth.

Provenance: Topic introduced SEG 785; topic finished SEG 844.