US-based healthcare company Riverside Health System has broken ground on a 50-bed hospital in Virginia.

Scheduled to open in early 2026, the Riverside Smithfield Hospital will be constructed on land near the intersection of Routes US-258 and VA-10.

It will feature four operating rooms, 34 medical/surgical beds and ten intensive care unit (ICU) beds.

The 200,000ft² acute care facility will also include an emergency room and provide diagnostic imaging services such as CT and MRI scans.

Riverside Health System president and CEO Mike Dacey said: “As we break ground on the new hospital, we lay the foundation for a healthier future for the community.

“Riverside Smithfield Hospital will create a place where compassionate care and leading-edge technology meet community.

“The ground-breaking symbolises a step forward, and upon opening the doors in 2026, it will expand our ability to provide personalised care close to home.”

Riverside Smithfield Hospital president Jessica Macalino said: “Being a Smithfield resident myself, the construction of the new state-of-the-art facility is reassuring, knowing that care will be more readily accessible for our community and our loved ones.

“The hospital will be more than just a building; it signifies Riverside’s effort to prioritise the health and wellness of the greater Western Tidewater community.”

Riverside Health System recently announced Macalino as the first president of Riverside Smithfield Hospital.

The company was approved to build the hospital in March last year, having applied to the Virginia Department of Health for permission in June 2021.

It is also planning to add a medical office building, named the Jamison-Longford Medical Office Building, to the facility.

The medical office building will include space for several diagnostic and procedural services, as well as multi-speciality medical offices.

Its construction will begin later this year, with the opening scheduled for late 2025.