South Boston Acute-Care Hospital to Replace 70-Plus-Year-Old Halifax Regional

Sentara Health has announced plans to replace the aging Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital in South Boston with a modern acute-care facility. The new hospital, set to open in summer 2026, will be about one-third the size of the existing hospital, measuring approximately 100,000 square feet.

The decision to build a new hospital instead of renovating the current 70-plus-year-old building comes as Halifax Regional Hospital has seen a decrease in patient volume in recent years, attributed to a shrinking and aging local population. The facility has also faced challenges in physician recruitment and retention, common among hospitals serving rural areas.

Brian Zwoyer, the hospital’s president, emphasized the need for a more efficient and nimble facility to better serve patients and visitors. The new hospital will offer inpatient medical, surgical, intensive care, and observation beds, along with a range of services including emergency care, imaging, laboratory, and rehabilitation.

Despite the smaller footprint of the new hospital, Zwoyer assured that it will provide the same services as the current facility, with plans to increase and retain services while reducing the need for patient transfers. The new hospital will have 40 to 45 beds, including eight to ten in the intensive care unit, compared to the current 192-bed capacity.

Sentara aims to ensure that the new facility meets the community’s healthcare needs for the next 50 years, offering improved access and services. The construction of the new hospital is expected to begin in the fall, with more design and development details to be released in the coming months.