Foresight Health cites supply chain and personnel issues
Foresight Health had purchased the former Pioneer Community Hospital of Patrick County, which closed in 2017, with the intention of renovating it and reopening it as a critical care facility by the end of 2022. However, the company faced several delays and challenges, including supply chain disruptions and difficulties in finding key personnel.
In a statement, Foresight Health’s director of development, Jeanette Filpi, said that the company had underestimated the requirements to get the hospital ready. She did not give a specific reason for the decision to abandon the project, nor did she mention any plans for the future of the property.
Patrick County officials express disappointment and frustration
The news of Foresight Health’s withdrawal came as a shock and a disappointment to Patrick County officials and residents, who had been looking forward to having a local health care facility after years of relying on distant hospitals. Patrick County Board of Supervisors Chairman Brandon Simmons said that the county leaders and citizens had been misled by the promises made by Foresight Health.
Simmons also said that the county had formed a Healthcare Access Committee to explore other options for improving health care access in the region, which was identified as a top priority need in a 2019 community health needs assessment by the Virginia Department of Health.
Patrick County hospital saga continues
The fate of the Patrick County hospital has been uncertain and controversial for several years. The facility, which was the only hospital in the county, closed in 2017 due to financial and operational issues. Since then, several attempts have been made to reopen it, but none have succeeded.
In 2018, the Virginia Department of Health denied a certificate of public need to Americore Health, another company that wanted to buy and reopen the hospital. In 2019, the county supervisors voted to sell the hospital to the Patrick County Industrial Development Authority, which then leased it to Foresight Health in 2022.
Foresight Health had initially planned to open the hospital by early 2023, but later pushed back the date several times. The company also faced skepticism from the Stuart Town Council, which tabled a rezoning request from Foresight in July 2023, citing a lack of project updates.
Now, with Foresight Health’s announcement, the Patrick County hospital remains closed and vacant, leaving the community without a critical care facility and with many unanswered questions.
