SMITHFIELD, Va. — Nurses, first responders, and local leaders on Tuesday celebrated what many are calling a historic moment for Isle of Wight County as Riverside Smithfield Hospital officially opened its doors, welcoming patients for the first time and expanding critical medical care access close to home.
At 8 a.m., an emergency services radio announcement marked the milestone, resonating through ambulances and the hospital’s emergency department.
“Attention all units in Isle of Wight County, Surry County, and the city of Suffolk, please be advised of a historic announcement. As of this moment, Riverside Smithfield Hospital is officially open and accepting patients.”
The new full-service, 200,000-square-foot hospital includes a 24/7 emergency department, intensive care unit, advanced surgical suites, diagnostic imaging, and inpatient care, a significant expansion of services in an area that for decades lacked nearby hospital care.
For many residents, the opening means life-saving care that once required a long drive, often across the James River Bridge during peak traffic, is now minutes away.
‘A game changer’ for emergency response
Isle of Wight Rescue Squad Chief Brian Carroll, who recently survived a heart attack, described the challenge of long transports to distant hospitals.
“I woke up in the middle of the night, uncomfortable; ultimately, I was suffering from an MI, had a heart attack at home,” Carroll said. “We had to go across the bridge, take the chance on the bridge being up, which it wasn’t, thank goodness, but we had about a 25 or 30 minute time to the hospital.”
With the new facility now open, Carroll said transportation times will be “dramatically reduced” for many patients.
“We have this wonderful facility in town that’s going to accept the majority of our patients, and we’ll get patients to definitive care in less than 20 minutes, most of the time,” he said.
Carroll’s crew helped bring in the hospital’s first patient on opening morning.
Years in the making
Hospital President Jessica Macalino said Tuesday’s opening is the culmination of years of planning, community support, and cooperation with first responders.
“Our first responder partners, our EMS, everybody has worked so hard for this,” Macalino said. “They all move with the same drive and the same passion, and that’s to serve this community with excellence and compassion.”
The facility employs more than 300 staff and doctors, many of whom live locally, and is expected to generate jobs and strengthen the region’s healthcare workforce.
The hospital also anchors a growing medical campus: the nearby Jamison-Longford Medical Office Building, which opened in 2025, houses specialty practices including orthopedics, cardiology, and gastroenterology.
Meeting community needs
For longtime Isle of Wight residents, the hospital represents a long-awaited change. Many have routinely traveled 30–40 minutes or more for emergency and specialized care.
Local residents at a recent community open house echoed that sentiment, describing relief at having comprehensive care within minutes rather than across city and county lines.
Riverside Smithfield Hospital is now open and accepting patients 24/7, marking a new era in healthcare for Smithfield, Isle of Wight County, and surrounding communities.
