HCA gets state approval for emergency room in Richmond

HCA Virginia plans to build a freestanding emergency room on Hull Street in Richmond after the state recently approved the project.

State Health Commissioner Cameron Webb approved a Certificate of Public Need request in April to establish a new medical care facility with one CT scanner. The health system plans to establish the ER at 3830 Hull Street Road in the Circle Plaza shopping center near the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a few minutes’ drive from HCA’s Chippenham Hospital.

According to the application, HCA plans to remodel and modernize the existing 11,000-square-foot building on the site, which is zoned for medical clinic and office space.

The application states the facility will provide emergency services, CT imaging, X-rays, ultrasound, laboratory services, pediatric services and related outpatient emergency treatment. The filing also describes the South Richmond ER as a satellite facility affiliated with Chippenham Hospital.

“Chippenham clearly needs additional CT capacity and South Richmond ER is an ideal location to improve access for Chippenham’s existing patients and reduce demand for Chippenham’s extraordinarily busy ER and CT services,” the application states.

HCA said in its November 2025 application that Chippenham performed more than 55,000 CT procedures in 2024, roughly 250% of the state’s planning standard, and that 2025 volumes were on pace to exceed 63,000 scans.

“We are pleased with the Virginia Department of Health’s approval of the new freestanding ER in South Richmond and appreciate the opportunity to address the region’s growing need for high-quality emergency care close to home,” HCA Virginia spokesperson Wes Hester said in a statement.

Hester said details regarding the project’s overall cost, staffing levels, construction timeline and opening date have not yet been finalized. However, the state approval authorizes approximately $1 million in capital costs related to the project and lists a projected completion date of Dec. 27, 2028.

HCA said the South Richmond facility is part of a broader freestanding emergency room expansion across Virginia, including the planned summer openings of the 15,000-square-foot Scott’s Walk ER in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition neighborhood and the nearly 11,000-square-foot Chesterfield ER on Iron Bridge Road in Chesterfield County.

Part of Nashville-based HCA Healthcare, HCA Virginia operates 14 hospitals, 26 outpatient centers, eight freestanding emergency rooms and is affiliated with more than 3,100 physicians. With more than 300,000 employees, HCA Healthcare has 190 hospitals and approximately 2,500 ambulatory sites of care in 19 states and the United Kingdom. It reported $75.6 billion in revenue in 2025, up from $70.6 billion in 2024.