Inova Fairfax Hospital

The Inova Fairfax Hospital, usually just called Fairfax Hospital, is a hospital in Falls Church that serves Fairfax County.

History

Following the passage of the Hill-Burton Act in 1946, which provided Federal grants and guaranteed loans to improve the physical plant of the nation’s hospitals, Fairfax County acted quickly to latch onto this newly-budded teat of government money, setting up the first hospital commission in the state.[1] However, the commission became inactive following the completion of the Joseph Willard Health Center in Fairfax in 1954.[1]

On March 14, 1955, the Fairfax County Health Council approved collection of $5,000 to cover the costs of a proposed survey of the county's hospital needs.[2]

In the fall of 1955, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, at the recommendation of the Hospital and Health Center Committee approved a referendum for $3 million worth of bonds.[3] The bond issue was approved in the election of November 8.[4]

On February 13, 1956, the state corporation commission chartered the Fairfax Hospital Association, which would be responsible for operating the hospital. At a meeting that lasted until nearly 3:00 a.m. on April 26, 15 of the 19-member board of trustees were elected, with the other four appointed by various county groups.[5][6]

Franklin P. Iams was appointed the first administrator of the hospital in April, 1958.[7] The groundbreaking ceremony for the hospital was held on November 21, 1958.[8]

On December 2, 1959, Hospital Commission Chairman Donald L. Wilkins was fired by the Board of Supervisors following a five-month investigation into allegations of conflicts of interest.[9]

Originally planned as a 50-bed facility, the hospital instead opened as a 285-bed, five-story facility on February 6, 1961.[10]

With two years, the hospital had reached its capacity and construction was begun on a $1 million wing to enlarge the emergency, outpatient and physical medicine and rehabilitation departments, which was completed in summer 1966.[11]

The $20.2 million ten-story tower building addition, increasing the number of beds to 656, was begun in 1967 and completed in 1969.[11]

On September 24, 1993, the hospital signed a conciliation agreement in which they agreed to pay nearly $604,000 to 52 female managers to settle allegations of sex bias made by the U.S. Department of Labor.[12]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Fairfax Weighs Move for Hospital." The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959): 24. Sep 08 1955. ProQuest. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.
  2. ↑ "Fund to Study Need Of Hospital Approved" Evening Star, 15 Mar. 1955, Two Star, p. 27. NewsBank. Accessed 9 Dec. 2017.
  3. ↑ "Fairfax Hospital Bonds Sought" Evening Star, 1 Oct. 1955, Two Star, p. 25. NewsBank, . Accessed 9 Dec. 2017.
  4. ↑ Graves, Aubrey. "Water Bonds Trailing in Fairfax Vote." The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959): 1. Nov 09 1955. ProQuest. Web. 9 Dec. 2017.
  5. ↑ "Hospital Race Waxes Hot in Fairfax." The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959): 12. Apr 24 1956. ProQuest. Web. 9 Dec. 2017 .
  6. ↑ "Hospital Board Control is Won by Insurgents." The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959): 39. Apr 27 1956. ProQuest. Web. 9 Dec. 2017.
  7. ↑ "Fairfax Hospital Names Manager." The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959): 1. Apr 26 1958. ProQuest. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
  8. ↑ "Fairfax to Start New Hospital." The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959): 1. Nov 21 1958. ProQuest. Web. 9 Dec. 2017.
  9. ↑ Lawson, John. "Wilkins Fired from Fairfax Hospital Post." The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973): 1. Dec 03 1959. ProQuest. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.
  10. ↑ O'Neill, Jeff. "New Fairfax Hospital Opens to Stir of Flowers, Beeps, Waiting Stork." The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973): 1. Feb 07 1961. ProQuest. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Barnes, Bart. "The Largest Hospital in Northern Virginia." The Washington Post (1974-Current file): 2. Jul 26 1979. ProQuest. Web. 4 Sep. 2014.
  12. ↑ Davis, Patricia. "Fairfax Hospital to Pay $604,000 in Sex Bias Study." The Washington Post (1974-Current file): 2. Oct 01 1993. ProQuest. Web. 20 Dec. 2013.

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