WHEREAS, VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill, an esteemed medical institution serving the Southside region of the Commonwealth and portions of northern North Carolina, celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2024; and

WHEREAS, planning for Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) started in 1947, and three years later, approximately $460,000 was raised through the generous contributions of almost 3,000 area citizens, in addition to $15,000 donated by the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors; and

WHEREAS, with the support of individuals from Brunswick, Lunenburg, and Mecklenburg Counties, CMH opened on June 17, 1954, with an estimated cost of $850,000, marking a new era of health care in southern Virginia;

WHEREAS, since its founding, CMH has upheld its commitment to providing high-quality health care close to home; and

WHEREAS, the first hospital administrator and chief executive officer of CMH was Thomas W. Leggett, who was followed by other accomplished hospital administrators and chief executive officers, including Steven Kelly, John Faulkner, Mike Berryman, Scott Burnette, and Sheldon Barr, the hospital's current president and the first female to serve in this role; and

WHEREAS, in June 2014, CMH affiliated with VCU Health System and was renamed VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital, establishing a partnership that enhanced the hospital's ability to fulfill its mission by increasing the number of physicians, specialties, and services available to patients; three years later, a new, state-of-the-art facility was opened to serve the community; and

WHEREAS, VCU Health CMH supports VCU Health Cancer and Specialty Care at South Hill in partnership with the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the top-ranked cancer centers in the country, bringing the benefits and expertise of a nationally recognized comprehensive cancer center to a rural community hospital; and

WHEREAS, as the only radiation therapy provider in Southern Virginia, VCU Health CMH is capable of providing most cancer treatment options locally, enabling its patients to conveniently receive the best in care without the burden of traveling long distances; and

WHEREAS, in 2024, VCU Health CMH established a family medicine residency program in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine's Department of Family Medicine, creating valuable training opportunities for young doctors that will continue to positively impact health care in the hospital's service region for years to come; and

WHEREAS, the accomplishments of VCU Health CMH over the past 70 years are the result of the hard work and unwavering dedication of its employees, volunteers, and providers, all of whom have contributed to making Southside Virginia a healthier and more wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital hereby be commended on the occasion of its 70th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to representatives of VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the hospital's history and its efforts to promote public health and well-being in the Commonwealth.