Riverside Tappahannock Hospital becomes part of VCU Health System

Facility will now operate as VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital

Published January 4, 2021 by Sydney Lake

VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital. Photo courtesy VCU Health

Richmond-based VCU Health System announced Monday it has finalized its purchase of the 67-bed Riverside Tappahannock Hospital (RTH) and related medical services from Riverside Health System.

Financial terms of the transaction were not released. The hospital will now operate as VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital.

VCU Health System acquired the hospital and its related services, including diagnostics, physical therapy, Tappahannock Urgent Care and Riverside Medical Group providers’ locations in the Northern Neck. Patients in the region also will have access to VCU Health’s services, including clinical trials and medical specialists. The two systems began a partnership in 2019 with a collaboration between the Tappahannock hospital and VCU Massey Cancer Center, which began offering cancer care to RTH patients, including access to clinical trials and other services at Massey and the VCU Medical Center.

RTH employees will transition to VCU Health System on July 1. Until then, they will remain on Riverside’s payroll.

“Bringing all the benefits of academic health care from Richmond directly to the residents of the Northern Neck continues Riverside’s effort to fulfill its promise to the residents here — to bring the highest level of care possible as close to home as possible,” RTH President Liz Martin said in a statement.

“Riverside Health System and VCU Health share the same values and commitment to improving the health of our communities by expanding access to quality care and providing leading-edge, compassionate and effective health care close to home,” Riverside CEO Bill Downey said in a statement. “Having a Richmond-based affiliation will allow for an even better care continuum and care coordination for residents of the Northern Neck.”

Newport News-based Riverside Health System was founded in 1915 and sees approximately 2 million patients annually. The health care system operates five acute-care hospitals, including RTH; one behavioral health hospital and a physical rehabilitation hospital. Riverside Medical Group has more than 650 providers in more than 100 practices.

VCU Health encompasses Virginia Commonwealth University’s health sciences academic programs, the VCU Massey Cancer Center and the VCU Health System, which includes the VCU Medical Center, Community Memorial Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, MCV Physicians and Virginia Premier Health Plan.