Parham Doctors' Hospital celebrates 50 years

Parham Doctors’ Hospital celebrated its 50th anniversary Thursday with a tree dedication, cake-cutting, and recognition of outstanding employees. 

The festive event marking a milestone included announcements of upgrades and growth of the medical facility, which is a part of HCA Healthcare, a for-profit, secular system of 190 hospitals and approximately 2,400 ambulatory sites of care in 20 states and the United Kingdom. Locally, that includes Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, Parham Doctors’ Hospital, Johnston-Willis Hospital, Retreat Doctors’ Hospital, Chippenham Hospital, Swift Creek ER and Hanover Emergency Center.

“Parham has had a very big year,” Parham Doctors’ Hospital CEO Drew Walker told the crowd, which included dozens of hospital staff. “I'm excited to announce that for the first hospital ever in Central Virginia, we have launched endoscopic spine surgery here. This is ultra minimally invasive technology that is unique to all hospitals in this area, further highlighting our drive to advance patient care with the best technology at our fingertips.”

Wallker also announced more than $11 million dedicated to a complete floor-to-ceiling renovation of the hospital’s emergency room, as well as an expansion and a new EMS lounge for the EMS providers.

Additionally, he revealed an expansion of Parham’s outpatient behavioral health program “to better accommodate the mental health needs of our community.”

“That will also incorporate more space to care for our behavioral health patients who are in acute psychiatric crisis,” Walker said.

(In the spring, the family of Irvo Otieno, a man who was experiencing a mental health crisis, filed a $25 million federal lawsuit against the hospital, alleging that it failed to properly treat him, leading to a fatal chain of events.)

Additionally, Walker said the hospital would be spending $5 million, “dedicated to the rear of the campus for surgical services.”

“So many patients, thousands come to us every single year because of our outcomes with surgery, because of our excellence,” Walker said.

Among other services, Parham Doctors’ Hospital is known for emergency care, gastroenterology, orthopedic care, spine care and weight loss surgery.

Among county and elected officials on hand for the occasion were Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas, Henrico Fire Chief Jackson Baynard, Three Chopt Supervisor Misty Roundtree, Tuckahoe District Supervisor Jody Rogish and Virginia Del. Destiny Bolling,.  

Bolling, who represents the 80^th District (which encompasses Parham Doctors' Hospital) said a hospital isn't just a place where people go to heal, it's a cornerstone of a community and a place where families come in their most vulnerable moments, where lives begin and where lives are saved.

“This is the only hospital that I represent in the district,” said Bolling after the ceremony. “As far as specialists go, a lot of my folks are traveling outside of the district to access that health care, whether they're checking their blood sugar or they just need a primary care physician.”

Traveling far for healthcare costs Bolling’s constituents a lot of time and money, she said.

“It's a burden to them, which is why I'm grateful for places like Henrico Doctors’ and Parham [Doctors'] Hospital,” Bolling said. “It's close-ish enough, but when I think about my district, I have a lot of elderly folks who may not be able to get out. And so transportation becomes a problem, finding a provider, [can be a challenge] whether it's because of their health care coverage, they may not have someone in network that's directly in the 80th District.”

At the milestone celebration, occupational therapist Terry Schultz (pictured above, center), was recognized as winner of the Frist Humanitarian Award for 2025, while Norma Chambers, director of nursing at the Joint and Spine Center, and Donna Jackson, medical lab technologist, were recognized as the longest-serving employees at Parham Doctors' Hospital.  

Steve Switzer, who was chief pharmacist at the hospital's 1975 founding and established the pharmacy program, was given the honor of cutting the cake, accompanied by Walker and Ryan Jensen, CEO of Henrico, Parham and Retreat Doctors’ hospitals. 

Dina Weinstein is the Citizen’s community vitality reporter and a Report for America corps member, covering housing, health and transportation. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.