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Riverside Smithfield Hospital says 50‑bed hospital will open Jan. 2026; recruitment to begin
Summary
Riverside officials told the Surry County Board of Supervisors the new Smithfield hospital will be a 50‑bed inpatient facility with a 24/7 emergency department, surgical suites and on‑campus physician offices, and that hiring for roughly 200 positions will begin as the facility readies to open.
Riverside Health System officials told the Surry County Board of Supervisors on May 1 that a new Smithfield hospital is on schedule and expected to open in January 2026. "We are now about 6 to 8 months out from opening," Riverside president Jessica Magalino said, outlining a facility designed to reduce travel time for residents who currently must go 30 minutes or more to reach inpatient and emergency services.
Magalino said the project is a roughly 200,000‑square‑foot campus with a 50‑bed inpatient hospital (32 med/surg, 12 ICU and future obstetric beds), four operating rooms, two procedure rooms and a full diagnostic imaging suite including CT and MRI. An on‑campus Jamieson Longford Medical Office Building will house primary and specialty care; Magalino said Riverside has already begun scheduling patients at the facility and expects the office building to open in August. "We are really excited to announce that we just hired a total joint surgeon," she added.
The hospital is aimed at communities federally designated as medically underserved, including parts of Surry County and Isle of Wight County; Magalino said more than 6,000 residents currently travel annually from local ZIP codes for care at Riverside facilities. The system plans to recruit roughly 200 positions over the next six to eight months across leadership and frontline roles and will use telemedicine and rotating providers initially to fill specialty coverage.
School superintendent Dr. Monroe and board members praised the project for its potential local jobs and faster emergency response times. Chairman Elliott thanked the presentation and the board indicated support during the meeting. Riverside representatives said they would return with updates as the opening approaches.
