Inova and City of Alexandria Officials Cut Ribbon at Oakville Health Center
Facility opens to the public on Nov. 6
ALEXANDRIA, VA- Potomac Yard just got a shiny new addition to add to the landscape of new buildings. Three years after the Inova Oakville groundbreaking, elected officials, city and Inova leaders excitedly cut the ribbon Halloween Day on the new healthcare structure, located on the corner of Route 1 and Fannon Street. That slice of town sits at the border of Del Ray and Potomac Yard, a booming area that has gone from a former railroad yard to the birth of the Potomac Yard Metro, Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, and just up the road in Arlington, Amazon HQ2. Close to two-hundred people packed a warehouse across the street for the ceremony.
“This is an important economic development initiative for us,” Mayor Justin Wilson told the gathered audience. “It’s one that helps drive this area of Oakville Triangle. This is adjacent to Metro, adjacent to an area that only about twenty years ago, essentially had zero people living in it and now has thousands of people living in it with many many more coming.”
The new Oakville facility marks the third installment in a triumvirate of new Inova campuses in the Eastern Region in the space of four weeks. Just one month ago, Inova broke ground at the Franconia-Springfield campus, followed the same day by a groundbreaking of Alexandria Hospital on the former Landmark Mall site. The mayor recalled that day’s “double header” and joked that his counterpart in Fairfax County, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, traded barbs with the Alexandria mayor, boasting that Fairfax went first that day.
“We were second. Is there a Fairfax event today? Oh, there isn’t? Oh good! I feel like we settled that,” the mayor quipped.
The 93,000 square foot Oakville facility will offer a wide range of services, including a full-service emergency department for all ages, outpatient surgery, advanced diagnostic imaging, primary and specialty care, including cardiology, gastroenterology, and general surgery. The 24/7/365 emergency room will provide ready access to state-of-the-art care for residents of Alexandria, Arlington and the surrounding region.
Dr. J. Stephen Jones, Inova CEO, thought back to last month’s back-to-back groundbreakings, noting that it was the only time in this country where two hospitals broke ground on the same day. This third celebration fills a necessary hole in neighborhood health care, Jones informed the crowd.
“There’s a whole lot of people down here that Inova doesn’t take care of. Well, guess what, now we do!” Jones declared, to thunderous applause.
“Who is Inova?” Jones continued. “Do we want our facilities to be the proverbial castle on the hill or do we want them to have an open front door to our community? You know the answer to that. Are we cold and clinical? Are we warm and caring?” Jones asked.
“It’s about a lot more than a building next door,” he added. “It’s truly a whole new day for Inova. It’s a whole new way of providing the integrated team-based seamless care.”
Dr. Rina Bansal, president of Inova Alexandria Hospital, took a moment to remember Deputy Fire Chief Brian Hricik. She lauded Hricik for his work as the project got off the ground but “sadly did not live to see it to fruition.” Hricik died of cancer on February 23, 2023.
“The Landmark Mall facility has certainly gotten a lot of attention over the last several months,” Wilson pointed out. “This facility has kind of been a sleeper. I don’t think everyone realizes the incredible investment that is happening on this side of town.” Wilson also lauded the neighborhood walkability and easy access to transit.
“I don’t live too far from here,” the mayor said. “Dr. Bansal and I were talking about how I could walk to my next colonoscopy. I guess I won’t need a ride. I had to get my teenager to drive me home last time. He was very upset that he had to sit through all that!”
The new Inova facility opens to patients November 6.
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