Centra announces modernization plan for Lynchburg campus, plans to build new medical campus

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - Centra announced a multi-year modernization plan Tuesday, which will include the most facility improvements and capital investment in the history of the company.

Centra says the investment is $500 million.

Centra says the first phase of the modernization plan is a revitalization and expansion of Lynchburg area campuses.

“Centra is a true community resource- a resource that supports the many people who live, work and play here in central Virginia. To meet the growing needs of our communities, Centra will modernize and expand our infrastructure and services in meaningful ways,” says Amy Carrier, Centra President and CEO.

A list of the projects Centra says form the foundation of the modernization plan can be found below:

Growth of Centra’s home-based services: With the launch of a new Central Command Center, Centra is expanding its virtual care and telehealth programs. Through a remote patient monitoring program, the organization will be able to provide quality care for chronic conditions, manage patients’ health and well-being and remotely avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and trips to the emergency department. With 24/7 access to care and support, this program will allow Centra to expand care beyond the hospital or clinic setting and meet patients where they are.

Development of a new medical campus: In partnership with Lifepoint Health, Centra plans to construct two new facilities to create a specialty medical campus on Simon’s Run. The medical campus is expected to be complete by 2025.

• The Centra Behavioral Health Hospital will be an approximately 75,000 square-foot, 72-bed hospital, providing inpatient services for those struggling with behavioral health illnesses. This new facility will be structurally designed to create a therapeutic environment for patient healing.

• The Centra Rehabilitation Hospital will be a modern, full-service 50-bed inpatient acute rehabilitation facility. Designed with a patient-centered focus, this hospital will provide a state-of-the-art environment for care while addressing a significant community need and expanding the trauma services Centra provides to this region.

Construction of a new specialty medical office building: To better support the services that Centra provides to the community, the health system plans to develop a new multi-specialty medical office building in partnership with Remedy Health. This new facility will be located near Lynchburg General Hospital’s campus on Langhorne Road and will expand access to outpatient services and specialty care, including Centra’s comprehensive Brain and Spine programs and other surgical specialists.

Establishment of a new care tower: To accommodate the growing inpatient care needs at Lynchburg General Hospital, a new five-story Northeast care tower will be constructed. This new tower will be located adjacent to the East Tower (main hospital entrance) and consist of medical units, patient recovery rooms, and support spaces as well as additional shell space for future growth and capacity.

Replacement of Lynchburg General Hospital’s Emergency Department: The current emergency department will be replaced and incorporated as part of the new Northeast Tower. The new 63,200-square-foot emergency department will be designed to allow for additional flexibility and expansion needs in the future. This exciting new facility will significantly meet the needs of our ever-changing community and will include 71 treatment bays, five trauma bays, and four imaging rooms. Enhancements will include a split flow model of care to expedite and enhance the patient experience of care, an integrated emPATH psychiatric unit, super track/imaging/results lounge, and improved connectivity and utilization of the ED observation unit.

Creation of additional parking for the Lynchburg General campus: While parking at the hospital has been a significant issue in the past, Centra has planned to address this challenge through the expansion of lots on Thomson Drive and Tate Springs Road. This expansion will create 428 additional parking spaces and is intended to bring all patient and visitor parking for ED and inpatient services to the front of the building enabling ease of access and simplified navigation of the campus. Several parking projects have already begun.

The projects are expected to be completed in 2027.