Dream Living Takes a Nasty Turn

According to Kelley, the hospital has spent $200 million over the past three years on medical upgrades and new facilities. Last year, it spent $8.4 million on charity care and support, including $1.56 million to fund the Community Health Center at the Cornwall campus in Leesburg. The center treats poor and uninsured patients.

Kelley said he worries that if the hospital doesn't hit its bottom line -- which, he said, will happen if BRMC is built -- it won't be able to keep paying for much-needed services like the center and the county's free clinic. Grants, scholarships and Inova's future plans to expand to the western part of the county will also be jeopardized, he said.

Inova Health System is planning a $325 million capital investment at the Lansdowne hospital over the next five to 10 years to grow the campus into a leading-edge facility much like Inova Fairfax Hospital. Kelley said the company might not fund the improvements if BRMC is built.

Kelley said he's also skeptical about HCA's promise of $3.5 million in tax revenue for Loudoun. He said proponents of BRMC are falling for the lure of a new tax source without first doing their homework. He cited several instances where HCA has sued localities for tax relief.

"Most of that $3.5 million will probably go towards federal taxes -- I'm curious just how much of that will actually stay in Loudoun," he said.

Kelley said he isn't buying the argument that Inova is a monopoly that needs busting, either. "Fifty percent of Loudoun residents leave the county to go to Fair Oaks, Reston, Winchester, Prince William . . . I hardly call that a monopoly," he said.

Teen Transportation

The Loudoun Youth Initiative last week dedicated a bus that will be available to transport kids to organized activities around the county.

"This bus will help older kids and teens who don't yet have their driver's license or whose parents aren't available to drive them places," said Carol Kost, president of the agency.

The bus will be available to transport kids to teen centers, movie theaters, shopping malls and programs organized through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Loudoun, the YMCA and Loudoun County public schools.

The Virginia Regional Transportation Association and the Loudoun Board of Supervisors' Advisory Commission on Youth are helping the youth initiative meet the transportation needs of the county's youth. Together, these organizations developed the "Teen Machine" program after hearing kids complain at a youth symposium that they didn't have a way to get to activities.

According to Kost, Chad Henderson, a junior at Loudoun Valley High School, was instrumental in expanding the transportation program. "Chad surveyed his peers, worked with county officials and developed the PIP program [People In Places] to get kids safely to activities they ordinarily wouldn't be able to attend. He's an amazing kid," she said.

The decorated bus, which is owned and operated by the transportation association, was made possible through a donation by Broadlands Regional Medical Center, which has donated about $150,000 to the youth initiative over the past five years.

At the bus unveiling, which took place Monday at Claude Moore Park, Kost announced, "This bus is a visual, concrete way to say to the youth of Loudoun that we've listened to what you've said and we are doing all we can as a community to provide you with support after school, nights and on weekends."