Voice Your Support for Cancer Services at Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center

You can help Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center (“SRMC”) obtain Certificate of Public Need (“COPN”) approval for radiation therapy and other related cancer services.

Please consider speaking at the public hearing and writing a letter of support.

PUBLIC HEARING

When: March 15, 2010, starting at 10 am
Where: Salem Church Library, 2607 Salem Church Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22407 
What: Speak in support of SRMC’s cancer services project.  Please see below for potential talking points.

Note: speakers will be limited to three minutes. 

• Please tell your friends and neighbors.
• Please also consider writing a letter of support, even if you speak at the public hearing.

LETTERS OF SUPPORT

Please print letter on letterhead if you are a professional or otherwise have letterhead.  If not, please include your address on your letter.

Address to:
 
Karen Remley, M.D., F.A.A.P.
State Health Commissioner
Virginia Department of Health
109 Governor Street
Thirteenth Floor
Richmond, Virginia  23219

Refer to:
 
COPN Request No. VA-7673
Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center
Spotsylvania, Virginia
Introduce Radiation Therapy, SRS, CT Simulation and PET/CT Services

Although the letter should be sent to Dr. Remley, please, if possible, make a copy and send it to Ken West so that your letter can be copied and distributed to the various other regulators involved in the COPN review process.  Ken can be reached at:

Kenneth M. West, II
Assistant Administrator
Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center
10300 Spotsylvania Avenue, Suite 130
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22408
E-Mail: Kenneth.West@hcahealthcare.com
Telephone:  540-834-1513 
Fax: 866-736-0094

POTENTIAL TALKING POINTS/LETTERS OF SUPPORT POINTS

Please mention what you believe are the reasons Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center should have the above cancer services.  These may include:

SRMC will provide a comprehensive array of medical services to the residents of Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg, Caroline, Stafford, and King George.  Patients in these areas currently have only one choice of radiation therapy provider and will be forced to switch health care providers for radiation therapy treatment; this creates fragmented care.

Without radiation therapy services, SRMC’s patients will be forced to see a new set of physicians, deal with different health systems, complete duplicative paperwork and insurance filings, and drive longer distances to obtain services.  Therefore, there are several continuity and efficiency advantages to patients having radiation therapy services available to them at SRMC.

Health Planning District 16 (where SRMC is located) has:

• Virginia’s fastest growing population;
• Virginia’s second highest cancer incident rate;
• Virginia’s highest population for a planning district with only one radiation therapy provider;
• One of Virginia’s lowest ratios of population to radiation therapy providers; and
• A disproportionately high rate of patients who leave the planning district for inpatient oncology services as well as general acute care services.

Many patients will have to drive past SRMC to obtain their cancer services at one of two Mary Washington Healthcare locations, neither of which is as convenient.

SRMC will be easily accessible to patients throughout the area, both geographically and financially because of HCA’s generous charity care and uninsured patient policies.

SRMC’s patients deserve access to radiation therapy services and continuity of care within the same healthcare system, just like patients within the Mary Washington Healthcare system.

Approval of SRMC’s project will encourage beneficial competition with the MediCorp system, which is currently the only provider of radiation therapy services in PD 16.  This introduction of institutional competition will improve health care delivery for all patients.

Add any specific situations/examples that reflect how your patients/family will benefit from SRMC’s radiation therapy/stereotactic radiosurgery services.

Please conclude by stating your support of SRMC’s COPN application.

Thank you for your help.