>In the growing Franconia area, a groundbreaking ceremony was recently held for a new full-sized hospital on the corner of Beulah Street and the Springfield-Franconia Parkway just outside Kingstowne.

The 110-bed hospital will be on a plot of land that is next to the current Inova Healthplex that has served as medical needs for the residents of Franconia for the past 15 or 20 years, but the healthplex is more like a clinic since it has no beds for long-time patients and it can’t accommodate the same level of medical operations as a hospital.

“The Inova Franconia-Springfield Campus will ensure more families in our community have access to high-quality, compassionate care closer to home,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay at the Franconia-Springfield groundbreaking. “These projects highlight Inova’s commitment to partnering with local governments to strengthen healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes for all of our residents.”

“We’re looking at future growth,” said Inova spokesperson Melissa Portez Riddy, referring to the growing community of Kingstowne on the east and the redevelopment of central Springfield on the west. There are road projects on the books, a data center halfway finished on Loisdale Road, and apartments going in at Springfield Town Center so the population of the area is growing. The hospital will be within walking distance to the existing Springfield-Franconia Metro Station on the blue line.

Inova also broke ground for a new hospital at Landmark, a former shopping mall that is a few miles up I-95, which will replace the aging Alexandria Hospital on Seminary Road. Together the two facilities will replace the existing Inova Alexandria Hospital.

All these changes will have some impact on medical coverage for the surrounding area. 

“Inova’s commitment to providing greater access to world-class care runs deep, as we invest billions back into the community to enhance healthcare services and ensure that our neighbors have access to the care they need for generations to come,” said Dr. J. Stephen Jones, President and CEO of Inova Health System at the groundbreaking at Landmark.

The Inova Franconia-Springfield Campus will be equipped with advanced emergency care, surgical services, and specialized inpatient care. The current Emergency Room in the HealthPlex will remain in place until emergency services can move to a larger space in the new hospital. The former ER space will be renovated for other community healthcare services after the move.

DPR Construction will lead the construction efforts, and the hospital is expected to be completed in 2028. 

For more information on Inova’s eastern region development plans, visit https://www.inova.org/easternregion.