NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Bon Secours announced that it will be consolidating acute care and emergency services across the Southside, from Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center in Norfolk to Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth, by the end of the first quarter.

In a press release Tuesday morning, Bon Secours officials said that DePaul Medical Center’s
acute and emergency care services “no longer serve a vital need in the Norfolk community.”

Officials cited an average of 20-30 patients a day and little significant increase related to the patient population impacted by COVID-19, combined with a significant decrease in demand for emergency care at DePaul Medical Center.

By April 1, 2021, health officials say all hospital outpatient departments of DePaul Medical Center will become departments of Maryview Medical Center.

Norfolk Vice Mayor Martin Thomas told WAVY.com that city council got a heads up about this Monday night. He said while it is sad to lose this Norfolk institution, it was not a surprise, “They failed to really create any sort of medical synergy at that campus. Most others (hospitals) have a specialty that they’re known for. At one point at, it was the birthing center, and they kind of lost that.”

The three primary care practices that are currently departments of DePaul will continue to operate as practice sites of the Bon Secours Medical Group. Emergency, and inpatient, acute care will be consolidated to the Maryview campus in Portsmouth as a single acute care hub for the Southside.

Although many efforts were taken to sustain the hospital’s operations at the facility, they were not enough to sustain acute and emergency care “in an environment of significant decline.”

Officials say the decision was made by the Hampton Roads executive leadership team along with Bon Secours’ Board of Directors.

Bon Secours officials said they will continue to provide care through outpatient, ambulatory, physician, and community health services, including the Bon Secours Care-A-Van, on the DePaul medical campus and throughout Norfolk.

The future of the acute care building on the DePaul medical campus is currently being assessed.

Thomas said that he, the mayor and the council are looking at this as an opportunity to entice another medical provider to open an acute care center. “For many years even getting to DePaul has been a concern for those in an ambulance and are North of Wards Corner because of the train tracks in Wards Corner and so, we’re seeing this as ‘hey, if we’re going to try to entice another medical provider to open an acute care center in the Northern half of the city, maybe we try to locate it north of those tracks.'”

Bon Secours would not do an interview with WAVY TV on Tuesday, so we do not know how many employees will be affected, however, Martin said it is his understanding that no one will lose a job as all have been offered positions at other Bon Secours facilities.

To request a copy of your medical records, download the Release of Information form and fax or mail it to the appropriate facility. There may be a cost involved for this service. Bon Secours says medical records will not be released without a written authorization.