Hampton VA Health System Begins Upgrades

- The Hampton VA upgrades include renovating multiple buildings, replacing the nurse call and boiler plant systems, and making significant infrastructure improvements to support the Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program. - This project is part of a larger national investment by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which has allocated $4.8 billion in fiscal year 2026 for its Non-Recurring Maintenance program to repair and modernize medical facilities across the country. - The modernization at the Hampton VA mirrors a statewide trend, with major health systems like Inova, Bon Secours, and Sentara also undertaking multi-million and billion-dollar expansion and renovation projects. - The Hampton VA Medical Center provides a range of women's health services, including gynecology, maternity care, and postpartum support, and has a dedicated Women's Clinic. - Recent Virginia legislation aims to address maternity care shortages by expanding the roles of midwives. House Bill 1904, effective July 2025, allows certified nurse-midwives to serve on 24-hour on-call rosters for nursery care. - Further legislation, House Bill 1923, mandates reimbursement parity from private insurers and Medicaid for different types of licensed midwives, recognizing their comparable training and clinical outcomes. - These policy changes are significant as 37.6% of Virginia's counties are classified as "maternity care deserts" with limited or no access to obstetric care. - In 2023, approximately 14% of births in Virginia were attended by midwives, a figure that may grow with new legislation designed to expand access to midwifery care.