On September 1, 2024, Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital celebrated 15 years as part of Riverside Health. In 2009, after 81 years as an independent hospital, Shore Memorial joined Riverside to continue expanding local access to high-quality health care.
The partnership with Riverside was a meeting of similar cultures and goals. Riverside believes in keeping as many services as possible available locally so residents do not have to travel for most of their care. Riverside’s mission ‘to care for others as we would care for those we love’ puts patient care and safety at the heart of every interaction. Riverside’s investment in rural health care is also an investment in the community. The partnership was a perfect fit.
The first Eastern Shore hospital opened on August 16, 1928 in Nassawadox as the Northampton Accomack Memorial Hospital. The facility’s construction was made possible by a dedicated group of Auxilians who raised money and borrowed personal loans to buy the construction materials. For more than 100 years, the Auxilians have been leadership supporters in every major hospital project.
In 1971, the second hospital opened down the block, and the 1928 building was demolished. In February 2017, after 46 years in the 1971 hospital, services were moved from Nassawadox to the current location in Onancock. The $95 million campus includes the hospital, the Riverside Shore Cancer Center, Riverside Shore Physical Therapy and a Medical Office Building for specialty physicians and providers.
Since joining Riverside in 2009, hospital care has remained local while benefitting from significant investments in facilities, electronic medical records, provider recruitment, expanded services and team member continuing education.
“As proud as we are of the great buildings and services available on the Shore, the heart and soul of this organization are the incredible team members who make our mission a reality every day,” says Nick Chuquin, President of Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital. “Together with our patients and community, we have built an organization where compassion meets care, and we look forward to a bright future providing personalized, high-quality care to meet the unique needs of our rural community.”
Today, RSMH is a 52-bed hospital serving tens of thousands of patients each year, and Riverside is the largest provider of medical services on the Eastern Shore, including hospital services, cancer care, specialty physicians, primary care physicians, physical therapy, home health and hospice.
Learn more about Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital and its high-quality care options today.