LYNCHBURG, VA, January 15, 2026 – Centra Health announced today a planning process to explore potential reuse options for Virginia Baptist Hospital (VBH) that honor its legacy and the surrounding neighborhood. “We know VBH is a place of significant importance to the residents of Lynchburg and the greater region. Over the next few years, as Centra consolidates and modernizes its operations at the new Centra Rehabilitation Hospital and Centra Behavioral Health Hospital on the Simons Run campus and Centra Lynchburg General Hospital, changes will occur at VBH,” said Denise Woernle, Vice President of Communications, Marketing, and Community Relations for Centra.
Engaging the community in conversations about what comes next at VBH is important. The planning process will engage neighbors, hospital employees, volunteers, stakeholders, and the broader Lynchburg community to share information, understand concerns, and begin the process of creating a feasible adaptive reuse plan for VBH. A study will be prepared that integrates building information, market study findings, community input, case studies, and other relevant data to inform concepts intended to guide future decision-making.
Several opportunities to engage with the Centra team and their consultants will occur in early 2026. Meetings will initially take place with neighbors, staff, and volunteers. There will be a community open house in February and a multi-day design charrette in March. A final open house will be held in late Spring to share final recommendations.
Planners will use an iterative process to guide creation of the reuse plan, which involves listening and learning, then sharing the information with the public for feedback, which informs next steps. Portions of the 29-acre campus are in the Rivermont Historic District, and finding new uses for the 650,000+ square feet of buildings and property will require creativity. Opportunities for partnerships and collaboration will be sought to ensure that the VBH campus evolves with the best interests of the community in mind.
“While our care teams deliver excellent care on a daily basis at VBH, the aging campus is not well-suited to the advancements of modern health care,” said Roger Bradley, Vice President of Facilities Management and Construction for Centra. “For example, a standard corridor with patient rooms on both sides requires 60 feet of width (room/corridor/room). Some existing corridors at VBH are nearly half that, measuring 35 to 45 feet. Our caregivers and patients deserve facilities that meet or exceed national best practices to support the delivery of high quality, reliable care now and in the future.”
About the Modernization Plan The recent ribbon-cutting ceremony for Tower A at Lynchburg General in September marked our most significant step toward fulfilling the Centra Modernization Plan. Investments in new construction and facility improvements across multiple campuses demonstrate Centra’s aim to provide state-of-the-art healthcare facilities for the region. Additional information about Centra’s Modernization Plan can be found here: https://www.centrahealth.com/modernization-plan
