RICHMOND - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that HCA will expand operations at its Patient Account Services Center in the Boulders office complex in Chesterfield County. The expansion will bring 160 new jobs with an annual payroll of $4.8 million. Virginia successfully competed with Georgia and Tennessee for the project.
“With more than 10,600 employees statewide and an annual payroll of $375 million, HCA is a significant employer and taxpayer in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Warner. “I am pleased to announce this company’s continued growth and strong commitment to Virginia.”
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, HCA is the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services. It owns or operates approximately 200 hospitals and 80 outpatient surgery centers in the United States, England and Switzerland, including 12 hospitals and three surgery centers in the Commonwealth. HCA’s Central Virginia facilities are CJW Medical Center, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, Retreat Hospital and John Randolph Medical Center.
When the expansion is complete, the Richmond Patient Account Services Center will employ 670 personnel who provide billing, customer service and collection services for 30 HCA hospitals in five states. The new positions include accountants, customer service representatives, and other business office positions. Hiring will begin in November and continue into early 2004.
“Richmond was an attractive expansion opportunity for several reasons,” said Steve Gross, CEO of HCA’s Richmond Patient Account Services Center. “The caliber of the workforce, the quality of the schools, the fact that the state and county are very pro-business – all these factors came into play. In addition, Richmond is a core market for HCA and its hospitals there have gained a reputation for clinical excellence.”
HCA’s commitment to Virginia involves several other major expansion projects. In 2003, it opened the $44 million Levinson Heart Hospital at CJW Medical Center in Richmond in 2003 and broke ground on a $38 million project at Lewis-Gale Medical Center in Salem. An $83 million expansion at Reston Hospital Center will be completed in 2004. HCA is also seeking state approval to build 180-bed Broadlands Regional Medical Center in Loudoun County.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Chesterfield Department of Economic Development and its Industrial Development Authority assisted HCA with its decision. The company qualifies for a Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit, a statutory incentive available to all qualifying companies. To support HCA’s investment, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide workforce training as well as retraining assistance for existing HCA jobs.
“Today's announcement is great news for the people of Chesterfield County,” said Art Warren, Chairman of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors. “HCA’s expansion is another example of the cooperation between the county and the state to create jobs in Central Virginia.”