September 11, 1977 was the day the ribbon was cut, but the planning for our local community hospital began long before that.
Nearly six years of planning went into the creation of Walter Reed Memorial Hospital, now known as Riverside Walter Reed Hospital. After exploring several options for funding, representatives of the local medical community and the local Chamber of Commerce initiated talks with Riverside Health System resulting in Riverside purchasing the private developers interest for Walter Reed Memorial Hospital.
From this, area medical providers and specialists showed great interest and support for the hospital. Dr. Edward Bear began a kidney dialysis center in professional building adjacent to the hospital facility. Dr. Bear became an associate of Dr. Richard Crowder and Dr. Robert T. Davis at Internal medicine Associates of Gloucester. Dr. Sam Stanford and Dr. Boyd Clements, both of Gloucester established Gloucester Family Practice. Dr. KeaRiverside Foundationott Stone and Thomas Walker opened their respective offices nearby shortly before the hospital opening in 1977.
- Late 1974-Early 1975 - original Walter Reed Memorial Advisory Board formed
- July 1975 – Richard J. Pearce named first Walter Reed Administrator
- May 13, 1976 – Groundbreaking
- June 1977 – Hospital Auxiliary organized
- September 11, 1977 – Dedication of Walter Reed Memorial Hospital
The original Walter Reed Memorial Advisory Board included J. Edgar Pointer, Jr. Chairman; Raymond S. Brown (MD), James V. Morgan, Robert L. Marble, George Zahn, Harold Felton (MD), Wallace Twigg, Thomas J. Luckam (DDS), Fernando G. Dias (MD) and Elizabeth Gray. This group was representative of not only Gloucester County, but the surrounding counties and communities the hospital would serve, including Mathews, West Point and Deltaville.
Over the forty years Riverside Walter Reed Hospital has served the local communities, the health system has continuously made investments in physicians, services, state-of-the-art technology, facility upgrades and additions.
Construction and Renovation Timeline:
1982
- Lab and Imaging X-Ray remodel
1990
- Professional Office Building A completed
- Mobile MRI pad addition
- Redesigned Lobby interior and central registration
1994
- Professional Office Building D completed
1995
- Renovation of Emergency Department to 11 bed capacity
- Renovation of Outpatient Surgery to include new Recovery Bays, addition of staff locker rooms, new nurse station and lounge
- Major renovation and upgrade to Laboratory Services
- Main entrance canopy installed/renovated
1996
- Renovation to Imaging Services to add nuclear medicine, CT Scanner, Ultrasound and Mammography
- Added Imaging Services waiting area, offices
2002
- Build Medical Arts Building addition to rear of hospital
2004
- Build Cancer Treatment Center
2005
- Emergency Department Registration area renovated
- Addition of MRI Suite to Imaging Services
2006
- Renovation of Building A for expanded Orthopedicspedic services
- Remodeled ED nurse station
- Renovated Pharmacy
2007-2008
- Surgical Services addition of third Operating Room
- Renovated OR Procedure Rooms 1 and 2 and staff locker rooms
2010
- Renovation to Pre-operative areas and main hospital hallway
- Renovation to Medical Surgical inpatient Rooms
2012
- Addition of 12 bed, 12,500 square foot state of the art Intensive Care Unit
- Addition of J. Doswell Dutton Family Care Center
- Addition of private patient transport corridor
2013
- Renovation of Blossom Café
2014
- Addition of 3,100 square foot state of the art Laboratory
2015
- Updated and renovated MRI Suite to current Safety Zone code requirements
- ED Nurses Station renovation
- Nutritional Services walk-in cooler and freezer upgrades
2016-2019
- Renovation of Medical Office Building to create an Outpatient Imaging Suite
- Planning and construction of new two-story surgical services building to include 36 private patient rooms and state-of-the-art Operating rooms
- Expansion of Emergency Department from 11 beds to 18 beds and 6,300 square feet to 16,000 square feet
- Relocation of hospital entrance to Main Street side of campus at Medical Office Building entrance to accommodate the Emergency Department expansion
Services and providers have expanded over the years as well with Riverside Medical Group and independent affiliations and include family medicine, internal medicine and general surgery practices, Riverside Wellness and Fitness Center, Middle Peninsula Cancer Center, Riverside Home Care, a physical therapy suite that includes physical, nutrition, speech, hand and occupational therapies. Cardiology, gastroenterology, nephrology, a neurology and sleep center, Orthopedicspedics, ophthalmology, pain management, physiatry, urology, vascular and women's health located on the hospital campus.
Beyond the campus Riverside operates Mathews Medical Center, Fishing Bay Family Practice (including pediatrics) in Deltaville, White Stone Family Practice, Riverside Walter Reed Hospice, M.D. Express and near the southern end of Gloucester, Hayes Medical Center and Hayes Walk-In Clinic. For older adults, Riverside has Sanders Retirement Community and Heron Cove providing independent living, assisted living, long-term care as well as rehabilitation services in the court house area of Gloucester. Convalescent Centers are located in Mathews, Saluda and West Point.
Riverside is proud to serve the communities of the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck as well as Virginia’s Peninsula, Southside, Williamsburg, Charlottesville and the Eastern Shore region with a variety of medical and older adult services.
Riverside is hosting a 40th anniversary community celebration on September 10th from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the lawn at the corner of Gloucester’s Main Street and Walter Reed Way in Gloucester court house. The Original Rhondels are playing and several local area food trucks will be there selling their finest fare. Beer and wine will be available for purchase with 100% of those proceeds going to the Riverside Health System Foundation Middle Peninsula Cancer Services. All are welcome and the public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets.