As the Veterans Affairs Clinic enters the final year of construction, there are several transportation improvements north of Exit 126 in Fredericksburg to improve access to this needed facility for area veterans.

This May, the ribbon will be cut on one of those improvements: the Route 17 bridge over Interstate 95 at Mills Drive, just south of the clinic. The $23.5 million project includes a four-lane bridge with pedestrian accommodations. The old bridge was “structurally deficient,” VDOT said.

Hood Drive is being improved just north of the clinic. A modified turn lane and a raised median will separate north and southbound traffic between Courthouse Road and McGowan Drive. This will also provide a second clinic entrance off Hood Drive.

At Patriot Highway (Route 1), VDOT is constructing an interchange with traffic signals and turn lanes right in front of the clinic. Officials said this will improve access to the new clinic, which is expected to open in early 2025.

The clinic is in Spotsylvania County, which provided significant funding for road improvements. All the upgrades were on state roads, so VDOT was involved.

Once The Ribbon Is Cut

The new 470,000-square-foot clinic will be named Fredericksburg Health Care Center and is expected to serve more than 29,000 Veterans annually in various areas, including primary care, mental health care, specialty care, diagnostic imaging, physical therapy, and more.

It is on a 48-acre parcel of land located southeast of Fredericksburg city, east of I-95. Harvey-Cleary Builders is constructing the facility, which incorporates a Georgian and neoclassical style of architecture in tune with many structures in Fredericksburg. Inside, there’s a concentration on green spaces and a healing garden.

Currently, depending on what kind of treatment area veterans need, they can go to the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center or choose to go to the VA clinics in Fredericksburg. The Fredericksburg clinics are at 10401 Spotsylvania Ave. and 130 Executive Center Parkway.

d David Hodge, a VA Health Care System spokesman, said the current VA clinics in Fredericksburg will likely close when the new facility opens next year.

Construction on this new building began when officials gathered to break ground on November 4, 2021. Participants holding the golden shovels included Capt. Drew Bigby, with the Navy’s National Capital Region, Congressman Rob Wittman (R-Va, 1), Virginia State Senator Bryce Reeves (R), Lisa Gregory from Disabled American Veterans, and other VA officials.

Fredericksburg Continuum of Care: On January 22, 2024 the Fredericksburg Regional Continuum of Care (CoC) received funding in the amount of $21,000 to support the Community Based Eligibility Worker Program to provide outreach to individuals and families experiencing homeless to access Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) more easily.

hoThe CoC is the federally mandated coalition responsible for planning and implementing homeless services throughout Planning District 16, including the Counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford, and the City of Fredericksburg.

The awarded grant from the Joe and Mary Wilson Community Benefit Fund will support access to critical benefits across Planning District 16 for vulnerable communities. The CoC partners with Micah Ecumenical Ministries to staff a full-time staff position who walks households through connecting to 2 community benefits.

This is the third year that Micah and the CoC have received this funding. In the last year, funds were used to connect more than 180 people with needed Medicaid and SNAP benefits.

Mary Washington Healthcare: Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) is proud to announce the three-year re-accreditation of Mary Washington Hospital’s Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Department by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

Accreditation was received in all available modules which includes body, cardiac, head, spine, musculoskeletal, and MR Angiography. There were no recommendations for improvement.

The ACR is the gold standard in medical imaging. Receiving accreditation validates that the equipment and clinical images meet strict quality standards, and the physicians and technologists have the appropriate education and credentials to interpret and perform MRI imaging procedures.

To learn more about MWHC’s Imaging Services and locations to serve you, click here.

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Sentara Health: Carol Shapiro, MD, MBA, FACS, physician and director of Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center’s Wound Healing Center, was honored with the 2024 Charles J. Colgan Visionary Award from the Prince William Chamber of Commerce on February 23 during the chamber’s annual awards banquet.

The award, named in memory of longtime state Senator Charles J. Colgan, celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions throughout their lives in service to the business community in Prince William County.

With more than 50 years of service in Prince William County, Dr. Shapiro was an original member of the medical staff at Potomac Hospital – now known as Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center (SNVMC). She went on to become the first elected female president of the hospital’s medical staff as well as president at Prince William Hospital.

Dr. Shapiro is a board-certified plastic surgeon who established her practice in Woodbridge and Manassas in 1972 following her training at Georgetown University. Recognizing the opportunity to build a practice in a community that had previously lacked necessary medical services, Dr. Shapiro played an integral role in the development of the healthcare community in Prince William County.

As director of the outpatient Wound Healing Center at SNVMC, she championed the introduction of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) services in eastern Prince William County five years ago.

Dr. Shapiro was integral in establishing the gang tattoo removal clinic in Prince William County, generously donating her time and expertise. Her commitment to her profession has included leadership roles with the Prince William Medical Society, the Medical Society of Virginia – where she served as the first woman president – and the American Medical Association, serving as chair of the Virginia delegation from 2007 to 2016.

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UVA Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, home of the county’s only NICU, is now participating in UVA Health’s telemedicine program with UVA Health Children’s Hospital in Charlottesville.

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Stafford Hospital commemorates its fifteenth anniversary in 2024. Opening its doors in 2009, Stafford Hospital quickly became a cornerstone of healthcare in the region, complementing the existing services and meeting the growing needs of the Stafford community.

Over the past decade and a half, Stafford Hospital has been a hub of healthcare activity, delivering thousands of babies and attending to hundreds of thousands of patients in the Emergency Department. The hospital owes much of its success to the efforts of its dedicated team, supported by numerous volunteers who have contributed countless hours of service.

In recent years, Stafford Hospital has expanded its services, introducing state-of-the-art facilities such as a cardiac catheterization lab and a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. These enhancements reflect the hospital’s commitment to advancing healthcare and meeting the evolving needs of its patients.

Innovations like the Virtual Nursing Program and the introduction of robotics in surgery further highlight Stafford Hospital’s dedication to excellence and patient-centered care. These advancements not only improve patient outcomes but also streamline operations, allowing staff to focus more on direct patient care.

Stafford Hospital’s impact extends beyond its walls through its Community Benefit Fund, which has awarded millions of dollars in grants to local nonprofit organizations. This demonstrates the hospital’s commitment to providing healthcare and supporting the community’s overall well-being.

While there will be no specific events or celebrations to mark this milestone, a hospital spokeswoman said the hospital’s focus remains steadfast on providing patient care and ensuring the health and well-being of its patients, staff, and community.

American Family Care (AFC), a leading provider of urgent care and occupational medicine services, has opened a new center in Dale City, expanding its national care network. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the latest AFC Urgent Care facility, located at 4101 Cheshire Station Plaza, Dale City, took place on February 8.

The new AFC Urgent Care center in Dale City offers a range of medical services aimed at providing efficient and cost-effective care for families. Staffed with skilled medical professionals, the center boasts an on-site laboratory capable of conducting various lab tests with rapid results. With extended hours of operation, AFC Dale City accommodates patients’ schedules, opening from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Robert Arrington and Simone Williams are the owners behind AFC Urgent Care in Dale City. Arrington expressed excitement about the new location, emphasizing its role in addressing the community’s medical needs. He stated, “This new clinic will fill a significant void for medical needs and attention. We look forward to providing urgent care to families who live and work nearby.”

AFC Dale City offers various services, including COVID-19 testing with rapid and antigen tests, allergy treatment, flu shots, and occupational health exams, catering to both individuals and employers.

AFC Urgent Care Dale City is locally owned and operated, delivering physician-staffed urgent care, occupational medicine, and other non-emergency healthcare services. Equipped with advanced technology such as digital x-rays and electronic medical records, the clinic prioritizes a high-tech, high-touch approach to healthcare delivery.

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Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County have another medical option with the recent opening of the Harrison Crossing emergency clinic at Plank Road and Harrison Road.

The “Emergency Department at Harrison Crossing,” the 11,000-square-foot facility, is on the southern end of the Harrison Crossing Shopping Center and has two ambulance bays, a walk-in emergency entrance, and parking in the front and rear. Inside is an office for walk-in medical emergencies and a separate emergency clinic.

It is operated by Mary Washington Healthcare and staffed with board-certified emergency physicians and a team of emergency-trained nurses.

Currently, there are 400,000 people in the Fredericksburg area, and with this center opening in the western part of the congested Plank Road area, it serves a need. “People don’t have to go as far to get the treatment they need,” said Justin Richardson, the nurse manager at Harrison Crossing.

“Our region is growing like crazy,” said Susan Spears at the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce. Spears and Richardson were at the ribbon cutting on February 5, but the emergency center opened its doors on January 23 and started seeing patients.

Another emergency medical center about a mile east, Fredericksburg ER opened about a year ago.

Next to the Emergency Department at Harrison Crossing is a Taco Bell, Popeyes Chicken, McCallister Deli, and a Goodyear Tire Center. An access road connects the shopping center, so a traffic signal for the shopping plaza is available only for cars and ambulances heading east.

Ever since the center opened, the area seemed busier, noted some. “Traffic has picked up, I noticed just today,” said one of the workers at Firestone.

One of the customers at Taco Bell was happy to have it right next door. “It’s the only one that’s near here,” she said.

Sentara sponsors Play4Kay Pink Game

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center (SNVMC) is set to sponsor the George Mason University women’s basketball Play4Kay Pink Game for the fifth consecutive year. The event, part of the #Play4Kay initiative by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, aims to combat cancers affecting women. The GMU women’s basketball team will face Saint Joseph’s University at EagleBank Arena on Thursday, February 8, with tip-off at 7:00 p.m. Sponsored by Sentara, the game includes activities to raise awareness and celebrate female cancer survivors.

The Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center will host a pre-game reception for breast cancer survivors, featuring a personal story from survivor Tara Brown-Coleman. Halftime will see the survivors honored in court, with SNVMC President Jeff Joyner and Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center Navigator Heather Byrne sharing cancer awareness and prevention tips. Play4Kay, inspired by Coach Kay Yow, emphasizes community unity in the fight against women’s cancers, transcending competition for the greater good.

New Imaging Center Opens in Spotsylvania County

Medical Imaging at Harrison Crossing, in collaboration with Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg, proudly inaugurates its seventh imaging center in Spotsylvania County, expanding its state-of-the-art medical imaging services throughout Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and King George. The fully ACR accredited facilities boast a team of board-certified, fellowship-trained radiologists dedicated to delivering quality care.

Aatif Rahman, Senior Director Technical Services at Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg, LLC, expresses excitement about enhancing community service. He commends the imaging team’s dedication and hard work in ensuring that patients receive the quality care they deserve.

The new facility at 5501 Plank Rd, Suite 110, Fredericksburg, 22407, spans 8,000 square feet and offers a range of services, including Open MRI, CAT Scan, Ultrasound, X-ray, 3D Mammography, and DEXA scanning. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting the call center at 540-741-XRAY(9729) from Monday to Friday (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and Saturday (8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.). Note that patient visits are by appointment only.

Rappahannock Area Health District honored

The Rappahannock Area Health District (RAHD) has been recognized by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) for its outstanding public health emergency preparedness through Project Public Health Ready (PPHR). This acknowledgment reflects RAHD’s comprehensive emergency response plan, trained staff, and collaboration with partners like emergency managers, schools, and hospitals. NACCHO CEO Lori T. Freeman commended RAHD as a model for public health emergency preparedness. For more information, visit vdh.virginia.gov/rappahannock and naccho.org/PPHR.