The hospital in Patrick County, now called Stuart Community Hospital, has an opening date: Jan. 5.
Braden Health, a for-profit health care organization based in Tennessee, works to revitalize rural hospitals that are on the brink of closure or have shuttered their doors completely. The company purchased the Stuart hospital property in November 2024 and began restoring the building, which had sat mostly vacant for eight years.
In a Christmas Day press release, Braden Health leadership announced that restoration at the hospital site is complete and that the hospital will begin providing inpatient care and emergency services on Jan. 5. The 25-bed facility has two operating rooms and expanded space for ambulances. The site encompasses nearly 63,000 square feet.
Braden Health budgeted $9 million for the property and had spent about $3 million as of August. In August, Kyle Kopec, Braden Health’s chief compliance officer, said the company expected to spend the full amount.
Kopec said Monday that the hospital began hiring a few months ago and has brought on about 100 employees from the community and surrounding areas.
The site last operated as Pioneer Community Hospital, which declared bankruptcy and closed down in 2017.
In mid-2022, Chicago-based Foresight Health purchased the property and pledged to reopen the facility for emergency services. While some work was done on the property, those plans stalled. Opening dates were repeatedly delayed before the project ultimately collapsed.
Foresight Health CEO Sameer Suhail was indicted in July 2024 on federal charges alleging a scheme to embezzle funds from a hospital in Chicago serving vulnerable and low-income residents. According to a Chicago news outlet, Suhail has since left the U.S. and is living in Dubai.
As a result, rebuilding trust in the community has taken time. Throughout the restoration process, Braden Health invited residents to tour the facility and see the progress firsthand. The Jan. 5 dedication ceremony will also be open to the public, Kopec said.
Local health providers welcomed the organization’s recent announcement.
“There has been a significant void in the community without the much-needed health care services provided by a local hospital,” Penny Hall, director of the West Piedmont Health District, said by email.
“Residents have been forced to travel more than 30 miles to receive emergency care services. The new hospital ensures that residents of Patrick County can receive timely and quality care close to home. We are looking forward to working with the hospital, county and the community to help with the process of improving access to healthcare,” Hall said.