Reimagining Virginia Baptist Hospital With Community Voice

What should a 30-acre, 537,000-square-foot hospital become after a century of care? We sit down with Centra’s Denise Woernle, urban planner Suzanne Schulz, and Lynchburg’s economic development director, Marjette Upshur, to map a community-first path for reimagining Virginia Baptist Hospital. The conversation unpacks adaptive reuse in plain terms: listen first, decide later. Together, we walk through the process from January listening sessions to February goal-setting to a March community charrette designed to build trust, reduce surprise and turn lived experience into actionable plans.

We connect the study to Centra’s modernization plan, including new facilities coming online and service transitions that open space at VBH. Rather than let the campus go dark, the team explores how partnerships, potential tax incentives and careful market analysis can spark a viable future. With strong architecture, a prime location between downtown and Liberty University and a deeply personal legacy for neighbors and staff, VBH stands out as a rare chance to blend preservation with progress. We address the stakes plainly: an empty site drains value, while an engaged process can create jobs, honor history and keep the neighborhood vibrant.

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Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introductions

Lauren Byrum 0:00

Welcome to In So Much More Central Health Podcast. My name is Lauren Byrum, and today I'm filling in for Cami Smith. We are sitting in Central Virginia Baptist Hospital's Museum of Nursing. And I have some very special guests with me today that I would like to introduce you to because we're talking about the future of VBH. So first I have Denise Woernle, who is the Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Community Relations here at Centra. Next, I have Suzanne Scholz. She is the urban planning practice leader for progressive companies. And last but certainly not least, we have Marjette Upsher with us. She is the director of economic development and tourism for the city of Lynchburg. So as we are modernizing our facilities and seeking to provide trusted care to our communities, we recognize that VBH has been a significant part of that for many years. And we are thinking about the future of VBH and what should come next for this facility. And so this is not a decision or a process that we are taking lightly, but rather we are going to seek to involve our community, our employees, just the broader community of Lynchburg in these decisions. And so that is what we're here to talk about today. So my first question is for Denise, and I want to ask about what do you see the future of VBH being? And how are we really making this adaptive reuse study happen? What is an adaptive reuse study to begin with?

Denise Woernle 1:25

Yeah, so an adaptive reuse study that gives us the space and the time and to engage our community, to engage the neighbors in learning what their ideas are for what this could become. So it's a little less about what Centro wants us to become and more about what the neighborhood wants, what does the community envision for this space? So this process gives us time to go to those neighbors and to the community, invite them in really to tell us what their vision would be, what they would want to see here, what they would not want to see here, what's important to preserve for them in their neighborhood, and some things that they might like to see be here instead of what we're what we're doing here today.

Who Decides And How Input Works

Lauren Byrum 2:04

That's awesome. So who will be the key decision makers in that as we move through this process?

Speaker 2 2:10

Of there's a lot of opinions and different stakeholders, if you will, that are involved.

Denise Woernle 2:15

You know, in the end, it it's Centra's decision. But more than a decision for Centra, it's a it's an obligation that is taken seriously, is to determine how to respect the legacy of this place, to respect the community in which it resides. And the, you know, there's a lot of neighbors who have been here for a long time next to this hospital. Um so preserving that and respecting that is a really an important part of that process. So it's a it's a decision process, um, getting that input in. Um we'll do a design charrette where people have the opportunity to react to and engage with some thoughts and ideas that are born out of these events that we're having here this month and then again next month with the community.

Lauren Byrum 2:58

So tell me about specifically some of the steps with this process of the people that are involved from the Rivermont neighborhood and these neighbors to our employees and then moving outward to more of our community.

Methodical Engagement And Charrettes

Denise Woernle 3:10

So we have invited neighbors in to this first step, this first phase to share what their questions are, what their concerns are, what their aspirations might be for VBH or for what it might become in the future. And then we've also included our employees in that process. Um a lot of people have worked here for a long time, and it's very special to our employees too, the time that they've spent here. So making sure they're a part of that process to share what they would envision for for this space and for this hospital. And we've heard um a lot of people then express gratitude for being asked, for being able to be a part of the process. Um so that's a lot of what we heard from neighbors, I think, and from employees today.

Lauren Byrum 3:49

So, what I'm hearing is the collaborative nature of this process is ultimately gonna lead to its success and what we hope the aim will be. Absolutely. So, Suzanne, I have a question for you as the urban planning expert here. Walk me through why being so methodical and being intentional with this leads to that project success and just good stewardship of resources.

Building Momentum And Avoiding Vacancy

Denise Woernle 4:10

Yeah, I think that I want to hit on the collaboration piece. I mean, because Marjette's sitting next to me, and and really to take a campus of this size, 30 acres, uh, 537,000 square feet of building, it takes everyone to really share a vision, to to think about what the next chapter for Virginia Baptist should be. And so how we engage the community in this process is really important, how we engage the city, because we, you know, there might be tax incentives that are needed for future developers. So all those components really need to come together uh in this stream. And so the process is is in some ways formulaic. You know, we want to make sure that we have this early introduction. We haven't had conclusions reached. We're not coming to the community saying, here's idea our idea, what do you think? Right. It's help us create the ideas and help us decide what the best alternatives are through this dialogue. And really, this is an iterative process of, you know, here's what, you know, we're sharing this information, we're all learning together. Tell us what you think. We'll take that information back and synthesize it, and then come back to you and say, did we hear you correctly? And then ask you some more questions. And so uh that's where we're starting first in January with some of those questions, and then February uh we're going to be coming back with some goal statements for everyone to review. And then those goal statements will help us inform in March in our community charrette, um, kind of weighing those alternatives. So we have goals. If this is what we're trying to achieve, how well does this alternative meet that goal? So really building on each step so people can feel the progression, and then when they see the end result, they understand how we got there, the logic behind it, which is really important. Yeah.

Lauren Byrum 5:56

So I'm hearing less of an emphasis on meeting certain timelines in a sense of we want to do this well, and the repetition of coming back again and again, over-communicating what's we're what we're thinking, what ideas are, so that we're all aligned in a sense.

Denise Woernle 6:11

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we don't want anybody to be surprised. Yes. Uh, we also don't want anybody to say, well, we didn't hear about this or we didn't know, which is really um, you know, the the reason the the podcast and the discussions and trying to bring in you know media is really we want everyone to be talking about this and sharing ideas because that's how you get interest and you get energy. And really, how do we build energy around this process so that we have a really successful outcome at the end of it? The worst thing that could possibly happen is for VBH to go dark and sit empty, right? It's it's too beautiful. We have this legacy we want to honor, and it really deserves that. The community deserves that, and we want to really stay true to that and make sure that we have uh just really a wonderful project at the end of the day.

Community Legacy And Economic Impact

Lauren Byrum 6:57

I love that of the giving the honor to the legacy of everyone who has worked here, who's received care here. I think of so many of us even have personal connections to babies born here or being born here ourselves. So, Marjette, maybe you can speak to some of that community tie-in and the um importance of economic factors in this and how us bringing in this the help of the city and progressive and others is so important.

Marjette Upshur 7:23

Um, thanks so much for that question. And I'm I'm I'm delighted to be part of this process. I am one of the people that has many ties. I'm originally from Lynchburg, and I was born in this hospital. Um, and it's a landmark, and we are here today for this podcast sitting in a room full of memories, and I think that both uh Denise and Suzanne have alluded to that this is a part of people's lives, right? For a very, very long time. So giving them the opportunity to come in and you know figure out what's gonna happen, but kudos to Centra because this is an incredible A landmark, but it's also an asset. And if I put on my economic development hat, Lynchburg is a very old city, and with an old city comes redevelopment. And so uh one of the things that resonates with me is that this building was designed for health care in 1924. It doesn't necessarily meet the needs of health care in 2026, but Central wants to ensure because it has a you know a relationship, a collaboration, and a trust with the community to make sure that what it becomes, right, the redevelopment, which is a lot of the work that I do all the time. So it's really about taking every single asset that we have and making sure that that gets repurposed in a way, in one way that the neighborhood and the neighbors and the community you know understand and and are on board with that, but also that it is something that gives back to the community, you know, in from an economic perspective, um, and also from blending in with the with the neighborhood and what goes on, you know, from a city perspective. But I but I really want to say that Centra is an economic engine in the city. It is also an anchor in the city. You're one of the largest employers, and you are taking incredible care in this journey, you know, to make sure that jobs are preserved and that this building becomes something that the whole community as well as Centra, you know, can be proud of. And the investment that you're making on the modernization side, which is part of what is creating this as well, is one of the biggest investments that's ever been made in the city. So, so it's it's a critical, it's a critical piece of what the future will look like in the city of Lynchburg.

Lauren Byrum 10:14

I feel both the weight of that and the excitement of that, of both at the same time, of this is something to be taken seriously, which it is, but also there is so much hope for the future in what could be possible. Um, and I think that that's such a great legacy for Centre to be a part of, in the sense that the community was very much a part of VBH's founding, and it's gonna be very much a part of its future in that same way.

Marjette Upshur 10:38

And I think about you know, building on that, Lauren, is we, those of us who are here today, have the opportunity to build what last for the next hundred years. So this is a great time to be here in this community to be with Centra, to have the opportunity to build what last, you know, is providing great health care so many generations from now.

Lauren Byrum 10:59

Exactly. So, Denise, maybe you could tell me a little bit about how this adaptive reuse study relates to Centra's larger modernization plan that's also at play.

Denise Woernle 11:07

So, what's driving the need to have this process um and to find what that future use is for VBH is the modernization plan that Centra is in the midst of. Um we just opened the new medical office building, the Lanecorn Medical Center, in December on Langhorn Road. A beautiful new facility. And then we have two hospitals coming online this year out at Simon's Run. So we have the behavioral health hospital that'll open in April, and the inpatient rehab hospital that'll open in July. So some of those services are located here at VBH and will move. So some things will already start to shift. And then in the fall of 2028, the new tower at Montreal General Hospital will be open, mother baby, and some other things that are here will be relocated there. So this really is finding a new use for VBH is because we are building these new modern facilities for modern-day health care that really serves the needs of today's patients and today's caregivers. Our employees give great care, they're experienced, they're well trained, um, they really deliver what our patients need and what our community needs. To give them new modern facilities in which to do that is is really a great opportunity.

Lauren Byrum 12:18

And it I think I've heard it also will help to attract more people here. Of you want to work in a place that's built for your work of today. Yeah, yeah.

Denise Woernle 12:28

And we know we have a need to recruit more providers. That's a national challenge right now, is recruiting providers and to be on the leading edge of that and to be able to recruit the providers we want for this community for the good of this community. We need these more modern facilities to attract those who are are looking for that.

Lauren Byrum 12:45

Very cool. This phase is about um research and discovery, it's not about having conversations.

Research Phase And Letting Go

Denise Woernle 12:51

So maybe um, yeah, we're we're in the the data gathering phase, if that's if you want to think of it that way. And and to me, and I mentioned there, it's it's qualitative and quantitative data. So it's the input from the community and learning about the building and the grounds and all the pieces, and then um, and then coming up with ideas and then trying to identify potential partners in the community or elsewhere that might be interested in in working with with us to reenvision what that might be.

Speaker 2 13:23

So, what I'm hearing is it's not a um we've already made decisions and we want some last-minute contributions or comments. Yes, yeah. It's well before that, it's called a study for a reason. Yes, exactly.

Denise Woernle 13:36

It's why you really want the community and everybody to come out, right? That they if they think that the decision has already been made, and we we want to encourage them to come and be a part of it. And what they don't realize is you're really helping them let go of what this was.

Speaker 3 13:53

Yes, yeah, absolutely.

Marjette Upshur 13:54

It's a it's a phys, it's a it's a thing. And we tell every every development brand new out of the ground and every redevelopment to engage with the neighborhood and to talk to them and figure it out. Don't leave it till you come to council and have them in the back of the room, and you had absolutely no idea, nobody, you wouldn't want to be treated that way. And so, and that's the important part is you all are going through like exactly the same steps that we go through when we're doing a master plan or we're doing something for an area there. So we want you to come and see those three or four that are left here. We want as many people as as we can get to come in there and be a part of it because you never know.

Lauren Byrum 14:40

Yeah. Suzanne, you do this a lot around the country. Um, what have you seen that's um maybe special or unique unique here at VBH?

What Makes VBH Unique And Viable

Invitations To Participate And Next Steps

Suzanne Shulz 14:51

So I mean obviously the the Stanhope Johnson, I mean the the architecture is beautiful and the setting is amazing. So it's not just the grounds and the building here, but the context, the neighborhood is super strong. And uh it's also interesting because it's kind of the halfway point between downtown and Liberty University. So if we're talking about potential uses, like if you're saying a boutique hotel, like it's a unique location that kind of leverages both of those anchors on either end of the community. Um, the culture here, the people, um, such a passion on the care teams and the people we've talked to about VBH, but also I think it is this excitement and this passion. People want to see this succeed. They want to see uh something good happen and really see the potential. So I think those are really, those are really exciting things. Um what's interesting in Lynchburg is you haven't been growing super fast, but you are growing and not declining. And so when we think of a campus of this size and this many square feet, how does it? It could be a major change, right? I mean, or you could end up with pieces that just don't work. And so um there's there are opportunities. And the feedback that we've gotten, one of our subconsultants is a um they used to do development, now they just do consulting, uh, but they focus on redevelopment of large campuses, and um they have come back with some positive news about what they think potential future uses could be, which is great that they they see some some opportunity for momentum and um those those those things um sometimes can be financially difficult to put together. And so that's where partnerships really come into play. And I think really trying to build the partnerships through this process, um, and so we're all building that vision together and want to implement together is really going to be critical for future success. But you've got a lot of great ingredients. Yeah.

Lauren Byrum 16:58

Let the mixing begin, right? Yeah. Thank you so much for joining us today and learning more about where we're at with the future of VBH and how we want you to be involved. If you've enjoyed today's conversation, you may enjoy joining us on February 12th at Oakwood Country Club, where we're inviting all of the community in Lynchburg to come in and to share their thoughts. Additionally, centralhealth.com, we have a specific page dedicated to this project, and we'd love for you to go there as there they'll be frequently asked questions, like we have an answer to a question you may have had or someone else in the community. But again, we want to hear from you. So we invite you to join us. Thank you so much.