"Leaders to form hospital panel"

Danville Register & Bee
Monday, July 30, 2007

DANVILLE - City leaders are moving forward with plans to establish a hospital panel devoted to improving care at Danville Regional Medical Center.
A meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 8 in the city manager’s conference room beside City Council chambers to discuss the formation of a Hospital Healthcare Panel, according to Danville Mayor Wayne Williams.
The meeting is open to the public.
The panel was a recommendation of the Citizens Commission Related to the Danville Regional Medical Center, which gave its final report to City Council on July 3.
“The commission recommended the formation of a panel to continue the dialogue with the hospital and to serve as a route for people to express their concerns,” Williams said, “as well as help guide LifePoint and assure the continuation of quality improvement.
“It will also help ensure that LifePoint will follow through on the commission’s recommendations.”
The mayor said he plans on the panel consisting of a citizen from Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C., and two doctors, as well as a representative from LifePoint Hospitals Inc.
Williams also has invited Coy Harville, chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, and George Ward, chairman of the Caswell County Board of Commissioners, who will recommend a citizen from their area.
Williams, who is a doctor, said he is taking recommendations on the doctor slots from other medical professionals.
He also invited Delegates Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, and Danny Marshall, R-Danville, to the meeting and told Ward to invite the appropriate Caswell County delegates.
Williams said, however, that he believed Marshall would be out of town next week and that the North Carolina delegates are is session and would be unable to attend.
Jess Judy, LifePoint’s Gateway Division president, volunteered at the July 3 meeting to be the hospital representative, Williams said.
“I feel that it is a positive sign that such a high-level person with LifePoint would be appointed,” he said.
Williams said the panel will be long-standing and ongoing as long as it is necessary.
“We will be looking at term limits and how to structure the panel,” he said. “We want it to be two way. When the hospital does something good, the panel will help disseminate that information, but it will also take problems to LifePoint that are based on public concern.”

Hospital Healthcare Panel to be formed

From WAKG's website:

"The top recommendation of the Citizen's Commission that examined Lifepoint’s operation at the local hospital is about to become a reality. City leaders have announced a meeting next week to organize what will be called the Hospital Healthcare Panel. Danville mayor Wayne Williams promised earlier this month to meet with leaders from Pittsylvania and Caswell Counties to begin forming the new leadership commission. Their goal is to start and maintain a dialogue with Lifepoint over issues at Danville Regional Medical Center. No word yet on the exact composition of the new panel. "

DRMC opens line of communication

Check it out...give them a chance.

http://www.danvillenewsandviews.com/

True, some are going to say it's all PR spin. Maybe, maybe not. But you'll have to admit that one of our concerns about DRMC over the past couple of years is a lack of accessibility. Is this a step to answer that criticism? I hope so.
I figure if everyone who visits and uses the "Ask DRMC" button to ask rational, educated and mature questions, we will soon find out how serious they are. If DRMC will use this site to answer some of the hard questions, then this could present a helpful forum.

UPDATE: Technical problems are now fixed...their site should be receiving questions.

Dead End?

Went to read through the Citizens Commission report...when you click the link on the Commission website, you get a "page not found" error message.

Anybody have any idea why this is no longer available? Can you still get a hard copy from the clerk's office?

http://www.danville-va.gov/upload/images/City-TV%2020/Citizens%20Commission%20Report.pdf

"LifePoint misses in Q2"

Nashville Business Journal - 11:16 AM CDT Monday, July 23, 2007

Earnings for LifePoint Hospitals Inc. fell 62 percent in the second quarter compared to the same time last year, missing analysts' estimates by about 38 cents per share.
The Brentwood-based hospital operator had net income of $13.4 million, or 23 cents per diluted share, in the quarter ended June 30. In the prior year's quarter, LifePoint earned $34.8 million, or 62 cents per diluted share.
The company attributed the drop to bad debt, contract labor costs and professional fees and medical malpractice insurance expense.

Also injuring earnings were impairment charges for discontinued operations - $8.5 million and $16.4 million - related to the disposal plans of Coastal Carolina Medical Center in South Carolina and Colorado River Medical Center in California, respectively.
An average of analysts' estimates predicted the company would earn 61 cents per share in the quarter on $656 million in revenue.
Revenue for the quarter was up 16.8 percent to $654.3 million.
LifePoint (NASDAQ: LPNT) lowered its earnings guidance along with its second quarter results. It now expects to earn between $2.15 and $2.25 per share for the 2007 year on revenues of $2.63 billion to $2.65 billion. It previously predicted earnings of $2.42 to $2.52 per share on revenue of $2.68 billion to $2.69 billion.
LifePoint Hospitals provides health care services in non-urban communities in 18 states. It has 49 hospitals.
The company's stock price fell about 13 percent to $34.01 per share at 10 a.m. The stock's 52-week range is $30.89 per share to $40.80 per share.

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2007/07/23/daily4.html?from_rss=1

Updates on the McKenna sale (not to LPNT)

A few articles out of the New Braunfels newspaper that you might find interesting about the sale of McKenna Memorial Hospital....many of the same issues and debates, so it will be interesting to read how this plays out...

"McKenna Sells to Christus"
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=c7ae9e3c5dfc593c

"McKenna Won't Subsidize Hospitals"
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=a5d99630550f5937

"Hospital CEO Says Board 'Not Deceitful'"
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=04262a05039d628e

"McKenna sale is good for community" (opinion)
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=5b727921e0e709c7


One quote that stood out..."the group’s questions for McKenna’s leadership seek “transparency in an organization that was developed with public dollars.”"

"County may get critical care center"

Danville Register & Bee
Wednesday, July 18, 2007

CHATHAM - A new trauma center may be coming to northern Pittsylvania County.
The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday night to approve a resolution approving the placement of a “critical care center” north of Chatham.
Staunton River Supervisor Michael Irby stipulated that the center be north of Chatham so it would serve the northern part of the county.
“Anything south of Chatham is typically served by Danville Regional,” he said.
Coy Harville, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said he believed the board would easily pass the resolution, but asked how the board could get the word out.
“How can we make this thing fruitful?” Harville asked.
County Administrator Dan Sleeper told Harville that Irby was making a recommendation he had suggested.
“If you’ll pass the resolution, I believe we’ll get some information fairly quickly - by the next meeting,” Sleeper told Harville.
Neither Sleeper nor the board offered much more information about the center, including its cost or size.

"Hospital names new CFO"

Danville Register & Bee
Friday, July 20, 2007

DANVILLE - Danville Regional Medical Center has a new chief financial officer.
Mark T. Anderson has been CFO of the hospital since July 2. For the past five years, he has held that same office at the LifePoint Hospitals Inc.-owned Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County.
Anderson is a Martinsville city councilman and will resign from that post to relocate to Danville.
He said in a news release that he and his family - wife Lisa and children Jordan, Brian and Melissa - are looking forward to moving to Danville.
“We have a contract on a house here, and we are putting our house on the market in Martinsville,” Anderson said Thursday. “We are planning on having our children attend Danville schools in the fall.”
Anderson said he does not know yet if he will seek political office in Danville.
“I enjoy politics, but my focus will be to work with the physicians, my administrative peers and associates to provide quality health care services in Danville,” Anderson said.
“We look forward to the expertise and nearly 20 years of experience that Mark brings to this position,” Ruth McDaniel, interim CEO for the hospital, said in the release. “He has a proven track record and our associates are already benefiting from his leadership.”

"Hospital passes surprise survey"

Danville Register and Bee
Friday, July 20, 2007

DANVILLE - Danville Regional Medical Center got word Friday that it is in compliance with Medicare participation.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made the announcement after an unannounced survey conducted for a week during April.
“We’re obviously pleased that in an unannounced survey, every key area of the medical center that was reviewed was demonstrated to be in compliance with Medicare Conditions of Participation,” said Ruth McDaniel, interim CEO of Danville Regional.
A medical facility inspector from the Virginia Department of Health conducted the survey from April 17-25.
The report stated that the hospital “demonstrated compliance” in nursing services, emergency services, physical environment, patient rights, and quality assessment and performance.
“Meeting the high quality standards of the Medicare and Medicaid programs is important to both the community and to Danville Regional,” McDaniel said. “It indicates to participants in those programs that the hospital has met the CMS standards, and it allows the hospital to be reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid for providing those services.”
Nearly two-thirds of the hospital’s patients get health care from Medicare or Medicaid programs, McDaniel said. “So, I am tremendously proud of our associates for the outcome of this survey,” she said.

Sitemeter is back --->

Good news alert

Danville Regional labs earn full accreditation
Danville Register & Bee
Friday, July 13, 2007

DANVILLE - All four clinical laboratories of Danville Regional Medical Center have earned full accreditation from the College of American Pathologists.
“This means we meet the standards that have been set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid,” Dr. Thomas Hardy, medical director of the labs, said Thursday. “We need to be accredited by an agency that has standards equal to or greater than those.”
The labs are inspected every two years by a team of up to 10 people, Hardy said, noting that the labs have always earned the accreditation.
“They come and look at our procedures, quality control and manuals, as well as the instruments, facilities and employee qualifications,” he said. “They have a checklist of thousands of standards.”
The four clinical labs, including the main laboratory, open heart, respiratory therapy and point-of-care labs, conduct approximately 1 million tests per year, according to a hospital news release.
“The fact that we earn accreditation means that we met or exceeded the standards and patients can be confident that their lab results are accurate and dependable,” Hardy said.
All of the laboratory technicians have a degree in clinical lab science and are certified by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, the news release stated.
“The people we have working in the lab are very dedicated, professional individuals who care deeply about patients and patient care,” Hardy said. “Many of them have been here for a long time and they all take great pride in their work.”
The labs are accredited through peer review by other accredited labs. Technologists from Danville Regional will evaluate other labs to determine their compliance with the College of American Pathologists’ standards.
The College of American Pathologists is a medical society that serves almost 16,000 physician members and laboratories throughout the world.

"Final Report" from Citizens Commission available online

The Commission's final report is available at the link below:

http://www.danville-va.gov/upload/images/City-TV%2020/Commission%20Report.pdf

Note that this document does not include the approximately 50-page transcript of comments made at a public hearing. That transcript is available, however, in the printed copy of the final report that can be obtained through the city clerk's office.

Citizens Commission report to City Council - July 3

From City Council minutes (http://www.danville-va.gov/upload/contents/385/07-03-07.pdf)

Mayor Williams called for a report from the Citizens Commission and introduced Commission Co-chairman Jim Houser. Mr. Houser recognized and acknowledged the presence of Co-chairman Clarissa Knight and Members Arlene Creasy, Dr. David Caldwell, Rev. Samuel Griffith, and Attorney Bob Whitt. Member Linda Green had a prior commitment and was unable to attend.
Mr. Houser reported as follows:
"This is a brief summary of the findings from the three public forums and the survey forms distributed to the citizens of this community. In an attempt to categorize the findings, a simple form of statistical analysis was used. Initially, the findings were placed into three separate categories: staff members, physicians and patients, along with family members. All findings under the hearing of staff included nurses, individual departmental staff and administration. Findings under patients included all other areas, but excluding physicians. These findings are based on my own interpretation as to what was given at the forums as well as what was written in the surveys and what has been said to me personally by others in the community.
The number of responses received was as follows: 27.7% from staff, 25.5% from physicians, and 46.8% from patients/family members/others.

The following is the top five areas of concern for each individual category and final count for all categories collectively.

Staff:
1. Understaffing of experienced nurses on the floors and other departments
2. Low morale among employees
3. Outdated computers and other equipment in bad condition
4. Intimidation from middle and upper management
5. Two areas tied –- poor patient care and poor management.

Physicians:
1. Understaffing of experienced nurses
2. Poor patient care on floors
3. Problems with administration
4. Low morale among employees
5. Two areas tied -- poor management and outdated computers/equipment.

Patients/Family Members/Other:
1. Poor patient care
2. Understaffing of nurses
3. Long waits and poor care in the emergency room
4. Poor housekeeping
5. Bad staff etiquette.

Combined Stats for all Three Categories:
1. Understaffing of nurses and other personnel
2. Poor patient care on floors
3. Issues with the emergency room, i.e., wait times, poor care
4. Poor morale among employees
5. Problems with administration: lack of trust, intimidation, not listening to physician concerns.
Not all responses were negative. Several comments were made by all three categories concerning good patient care and quality of nurses. Areas noted were the cleanliness of the hospital was getting better, good care in the operating room, one-day surgery, outpatient surgery, the open-heart program and the maternity ward.

continued in comments section...

"Get it done"

Danville Register and Bee
Sunday, July 8, 2007

Jess Judy got it wrong Tuesday night when he told Danville City Council, “We look at tonight as a new beginning.”
Every patient receiving treatment at Danville Regional Medical Center represents a new beginning for LifePoint Hospitals Inc., the Tennessee company that bought the hospital two years ago this month.
Danvillians didn’t want their nonprofit hospital sold, but that wasn’t LifePoint’s fault. However, everything that has happened at the hospital since the July 2005 sale has been LifePoint’s responsibility - including the preliminary denial of accreditation that now hangs over Danville Regional.
Some positive things have happened over the past two years, such as building out the top two floors in the Landon Wyatt tower and buying new diagnostic imaging equipment. But those projects were part of the original sale agreement.
Judy, a Clarksville native and LifePoint’s Gateway Division president, knows the history. He’s heard the complaints and he probably knows what the controversies - there have been more than one - have done to the hospital’s bottom line.
But if he knows all of that, he also has to know that the people of this community have heard promises before. Judy himself was quoted on the pages of this newspaper in March 2006, after LifePoint’s first local CEO left, as saying: “The future of this hospital and our ability to provide quality care kind of rests with our physicians and our associates and us working collectively with them to make sure that they have the resources and the tools and the technology to do that.”
Judy was at the Danville City Council meeting this week to hear the final recommendations of the Citizen’s Commission, the group formed by Danville Mayor Wayne Williams to investigate problems at Danville Regional.
Jim Houser, co-chairman of the Citizen’s Commission, said Danville Regional must earn full accreditation from the Joint Commission, add more people, work with its current employees, enforce its quality service standards and review its current management practices and culture.
“These are the most important problems that need the quickest attention,” Houser said. “If these problems are solved, others will be also.”
Will they?
One of LifePoint’s biggest problems - besides the preliminary denial of accreditation - is that its customers have other choices. It’s not a case of the sharks circling, it’s a case of the free market kicking in and people taking their health care dollars elsewhere.
“Over the last year-plus, Annie Penn and Moses Cone have received increased interest from physicians, patients and employees from the Danville area,” said Susan Fitzgibbons, president of Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville, N.C. “Our goal is not to be predatory, but to increase the awareness in the Danville area that there is an excellent facility 25 minutes down the road.”
That’s what some letter writers have said on these pages - Danvillians have the choice of other hospitals in the region if they’re not happy with Danville Regional.
For the Dan River Region, though, the best outcome would be for Danville Regional to fix its problems and regain the public’s trust and confidence. For a lot of reasons, Danvillians need a high quality local hospital they and their families can rely on.
Keeping the hospital fully accredited - and keeping the promises that have been made over the past two years - represents LifePoint Hospitals’ best and possibly last chance here.

And in a related story...

McKenna finalist under new scrutiny
The Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, Texas)
Published July 6, 2007

At least one of the three finalists in the race to purchase McKenna Memorial Hospital in New Braunfels is having to answer tough questions about how it is running a recently-acquired community hospital in Virginia.
Tennessee-based LifePoint Hospitals bought Danville Regional Medical Center, in Danville, Va., two years ago. However, only last month the chief executive officer running the healthcare facility resigned. Art Doloresco was the third CEO of the LifePoint-run hospital since July 2005.
DRMC is licensed for 350 beds, has a 24-hour emergency department and employs a medical staff of about 140, according to the LifePoint Web site. Danville, in south central Virginia has a population of about 48,000, which is similar to the estimated 50,000 in Comal County.
In February, DRMC also received a preliminary denial of accreditation status from The Joint Commission, which is a nonprofit agency that has accredited hospitals nationwide for more than 50 years.
A preliminary denial of accreditation results when there is justification to deny accreditation to the organization. Usually, this is shown by a count of the number of non-compliant standards at the time of survey, according to Elizabeth Zhani, spokewoman for The Joint Commission.
Danville Regional Medical Center failed three points on its home care section, and 21 points on its hospital accreditation checklist, according to public records.
“The decision is subject to appeal prior to the determination to deny accreditation, and I’m not aware that any appeal has been made,” Zhani said Thursday. “However, I don’t see why they wouldn’t, but the process can take several months before being heard by a special board.”
The level of concern in Danville apparently had grown so much that about four months ago, Mayor Wayne Williams — who also is a practicing surgeon — decided to form a special “Citizens Commission.”
He formed the commission to “seek information from members of the community ... to discuss what is both good and bad about the care and services offered at DRMC,” according to information from the Danville city Web site.
The seven-person commission also was “charged with developing a list of key problems from public input, provide progress reports to Danville City Council and work with LifePoint and an outside expert to determine solutions to these concerns.”
On Tuesday, the commission presented its findings to the city council. Afterward, a LifePoint executive told council members the healthcare corporation was committed to fixing the problem at DRMC, according to information from the Danville Register & Bee, the city’s daily newspaper.
In May, officials at the 132-bed McKenna Memorial Hospital announced that LifePoint Hospitals, Christus Health and The Methodist Health Care System of San Antonio had been selected for “extended due diligence with the purpose of selecting one finalist to enter into a formal letter of intent to purchase McKenna Memorial Hospital.”
When asked about the situation in Danville — and its possible bearing on LifePoint’s bid — McKenna’s chief development officer said she was unaware of the case.
“But part of the due diligence process would include looking into something like this,” Jennifer Malatek said Thursday. “And all aspects of each applicant will be looked at. We want to make sure we have the most correct and accurate information.”
Calls to LifePoint were not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.

http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=0c1f96a4b9f3565d

"LifePoint says it will fix problems"

Danville Register & Bee
Tuesday, July 3, 2007

DANVILLE - LifePoint Hospitals Inc. is committed to fixing the problems at Danville Regional Medical Center, a company executive told Danville City Council on Tuesday.“We look at tonight as a newbeginning,” said LifePoint’s Gateway Division President Jess Judy, who claimed his company and the community had a “mutual objective” in restoring the community’s trust concerning Danville Regional and its quality of care.
Judy’s promise came just minutes after Jim Houser, co-chairman of the Citizen’s Commission Related to the Danville Regional Medical Center, presented council with a report detailing the group’s findings. Houser said the hospital’s most pressing issues are its need to regain full accreditation status from the Joint Commission, improve its staffing levels, enhance its collaboration with staff, enforce its quality service standards, and review its management practices and culture.
“These are the most important problems that need the quickest attention,” Houser said, adding these problems had to be addressed within the next 90 days. “If these problems are solved, others will be also.”
Houser and the commission have spent the past four months gathering feedback concerning Danville Regional’s operations and quality of care by passing out surveys and holding three public hearings.
Houser suggested the city form a full-time hospital panel devoted to fixing problems at Danville Regional that would be comprised of LifePoint executives, civic leaders and other members of the community. Judy said he was willing to work with the panel and offered to represent LifePoint among the group. Judy also said his company was in the process of finding a new CEO for Danville Regional who was committed to working with the community.
Art Doloresco resigned in June as the third chief executive to work at Danville Regional since LifePoint Hospitals purchased the hospital in July 2005.
“Trust is done by delivering on the commitments that we make,” Judy said, adding the new CEO would be required to move his or her family to the area and establish residency as soon as possible.
Mayor Wayne Williams and other members of council thanked the hospital commission for its work identifying the problems at LifePoint and seemed excited about Judy’s willingness to take part in the process.
“We want a better hospital,” Williams said, adding he would start working with elected officials in Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C., to form the panel. “LifePoint wants a better hospital.”

"Citizens group to present recommendations on hospital"

Chatham Star-Tribune
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 9:52 AM EDT

A citizens commission looking into concerns about Danville Regional Medical Center will issue a handful of recommendations this week, including that the hospital get its accreditation issue worked out as quickly as possible, the group's co-chair said."
Everybody is real concerned we get the accreditation through The Joint Commission," Jim Houser said Friday. "That's a biggie."
Danville Regional, bought by Tennessee-based LifePoint Hospitals Inc. in 2005, has a preliminary denial of accreditation status from The Joint Commission, the largest non-profit health care accrediting group responsible for evaluating the quality of care at hospitals in the United States. That status was first announced in March.
The citizens group, appointed this spring by Danville Mayor Wayne Williams, will make its final report of five or six recommendations to City Council Tuesday night, starting at 7.
Besides the recommendation on accreditation, Houser said another one will call for a panel of people from the region be developed to work with LifePoint. That recommendation seems to follow a suggestion from consultant Keith Pryor, who said leadership involving physicians, the community and LifePoint, was needed.
Pryor wrote in his June report that it was time for leadership in the community and hospital corporation "to move forward. In fact, there is no other way."Williams said he expects council to talk about how to form the regional group.
He said LifePoint representatives are supposed to be at the council meeting. He hopes they will respond about what action the company will take related to the recommendations. Houser said staff needs, better wait times in the emergency room, better care on the floors and staff morale emerged as key areas from community forums and written surveys.
The commission held three forums, including one at Chatham High School. At that meeting, speakers told the commission about a lack of care, slow response, dirty conditions, old equipment and staff shortages.
Pryor, in his report, sounded a positive note. He said it seems the community and LifePoint both want a high-quality, successful hospital. He said trust between the community and hospital needs repairing. He suggested ongoing dialogue and leadership were needed to rebuild the trust.

A little speculation about Doloresco's replacement...

I've been following the news of LPNT's sale of Coastal Carolina Medical Center to Tenet. The sale closed on Sunday, July 1.
http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/6570164p-5848559c.html
The highlights of the sale are that Tenet is CCMC's third owner since 2004 (Province > LPNT > Tenet) and the facility is expecting $7 million in pre-tax losses.

One quote in the article caught my eye....
"Newcomer Teresa Urquhart will serve as interim CEO at Coastal Carolina until a full-time replacement is found. Urquhart is the chief operating officer of a 351-bed Tenet-owned hospital in El Paso, Texas. She will replace Eric Deaton, who will leave to work at another LifePoint medical center in Virginia. It's unclear what his new role will be or the name of the hospital where he'll work."

Think Mr. Deaton is headed to southside Virginia?

"City Council to discuss commission's report"

Danville Register and Bee
Monday, July 2, 2007
DANVILLE – Danville City Council will discuss the hospital commission report at its Tuesday night meeting.
The Citizen’s Commission Related to the Danville Regional Medical Center was tasked by Mayor Wayne Williams to look into the issues and complaints about the hospital since its purchase by LifePoint two years ago.
The report Tuesday night will include comments from consultant Keith Pryor, a budget detailing where the commission’s money went and data collected from the commission’s surveys and public hearings.

"Annie Penn looks across state line"

Reidsville Review
Sunday, July 1, 2007

Local hospitals are increasing their presence in Danville as they compete for new patients across the state line.
Greensboro-based Moses Cone Health System is promoting its Reidsville property, Annie Penn Hospital, to Danville area residents in an effort to lure patients who might normally choose Danville Regional Medical Center.
Moses Cone began an advertising campaign earlier this year promoting Annie Penn's services and the short drive to Reidsville. The campaign has so far consisted of newspaper ads and postcards to 5,000 people.
"At this point our goal is to increase awareness in that area about the services at Annie Penn," Annie Penn President Susan Fitzgibbon said Friday. Doctors reported seeing an increase in patients from the Danville and Pittsylvania County areas, Fitzgibbon said. "Over the last year there seems to be a fair amount of interest in the community about the hospital there."
Danville Regional Medical Center has been in flux over the past three years. The hospital changed from public to private ownership two years ago when it was bought by LifePoint Inc.
Hospital leadership has also had some instability with the loss of the third hospital president in the past two years. The most recent president, Art Doloresco, announced his resignation last week after serving in the job for 11 months.
During his brief tenure, the Danville City Council addressed complaints from the community about emergency-room wait times.
Fitzgibbon said Moses Cone is aware of some of the concerns about the Danville hospital but, she said, Annie Penn is not trying to prey on those.
"We've tried not to be aggressive, but that community needs a hospital," she said.
Eden's Morehead Memorial Hospital is also pursuing patients from the Danville area.
"We have been doing some marketing," Morehead Memorial spokesman Kerry Faunce said. "We've been marketing specific services in that area from time to time."
Morehead Memorial is about 40 minutes south of Danville. Faunce said residents of the rural area between the two towns have long opted for care at Morehead.
"Traditionally, hospitals have marketed to areas, specifically rural areas, where there isn't a large hospital presence," he said. "This is not something that's new, it's something all hospitals do."
Morehead Memorial also targets areas of Stokes, Caswell and Henry counties.
Regardless of marketing, Fitzgibbon said, it's important that people understand they have options regarding their medical needs.
Officials for Danville Regional Medical Center did not return phone calls Friday.