VCU Health System to acquire Riverside Tappahannock Hospital

Patients will have access to VCU services.

Published March 10, 2020 by Sydney Lake

Richmond-based VCU Health System is purchasing the 67-bed Riverside Tappahannock Hospital and its related medical services from Riverside Health System, the health systems announced Tuesday.

Financial terms of the transaction were not released.

VCU Health System will acquire RTH 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 their partnership last year with a collaboration between RTH and the VCU Massey Cancer Center to improve cancer care in the region. 

RTH employees will remain employed by Riverside for at least 12 months after the change of ownership is complete, and Tappahannock Urgent Care employees will remain on the payroll there.

“Rural hospitals thrive — and community health care benefits — when there is a strong connection to specialized services provided by a larger network,” Liz Martin, president of Riverside Tappahannock Hospital, said in a statement. “This transition will continue to ensure that patients across the Northern Neck can receive excellent care locally at the same time they have access to the continuity of services available through VCU Health System’s acclaimed medical center.”

In May 2019, VCU Massey Cancer Center began offering cancer care to RTH patients, including access to clinical trials and other services at Massey and the VCU Medical Center. 

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.