Having Riverside Smithfield Hospital right here in our community is a game changer for emergency response. Every minute matters when someone is in crisis.
As Chief of the Isle of Wight Rescue Squad, Brian Carroll knows that in a medical emergency, minutes matter.
So when he began experiencing chest pain around 2:30 a.m. on December 14, 2025, he understood the seriousness of the situation. Brian and his wife made the split-second decision to call for medical transport so he could begin receiving care as quickly as possible rather than attempting the 40-minute drive to Riverside Regional Medical Center themselves.
Doctors at Riverside Regional Medical Center discovered that one of Brian’s arteries was completely blocked. They were able to place a stent to restore blood flow, and Brian walked out of the hospital the very next day.
Because of his years of experience as a first responder, Brian recognized the warning signs of a heart attack and knew what to do. Others might not have been as fortunate.
Riverside Smithfield Hospital would open just 23 days after his heart attack.
Today, Riverside Smithfield Hospital is transforming access to care for residents of Smithfield, Isle of Wight, Surry and surrounding communities. Since opening its doors on January 6, 2026, the hospital has already begun changing the way patients experience emergency care close to home. In its first month alone, 68% of Isle of Wight County EMS service calls were transported to Riverside Smithfield Hospital—more than 175 community members who no longer needed to travel 40 minutes to receive emergency care.
Philanthropy plays a vital role in ensuring Riverside Smithfield Hospital continues to deliver exceptional care and evolves to meet the growing and changing needs of our community. Charitable investment allows us to go beyond what traditional funding can support—enhancing services, accelerating innovation and addressing health disparities.
Your Generosity at Work
Through the Campaign for Riverside Smithfield Hospital, philanthropic support will help advance key priorities, including:
- Advanced medical technology and equipment that improves diagnosis, treatment and patient outcomes
- Patient-centered programs and services that enhance access, comfort and continuity of care
- Health equity initiatives that address disparities and support underserved populations
- Future growth and innovation to ensure the hospital evolves alongside community needs. These investments help transform a new hospital into a lasting community asset.
Many Isle of Wight residents will benefit from the advanced cardiac capabilities now available at Riverside Smithfield Hospital.
Thanks to the generosity of Riverside donors, Riverside Smithfield Hospital has acquired one of the most advanced cardiac CT scanners available today—technology capable of detecting heart disease in seconds with remarkable clarity and precision. This top-tier system includes critical diagnostic and safety-enhancing features that equip our clinical teams with the very best tools to care for patients close to home.
But what truly brings this technology to life are the software platforms and supporting systems that enable imaging interpretation, data management and care coordination. While the equipment itself is in place, these essential technologies require significant philanthropic investment to implement.
Community support is helping accelerate diagnoses, reduce invasive procedures and avoid unnecessary admissions, ensuring patients have access to exceptional cardiac care without leaving
the communities they call home.
Your generosity is strengthening a continuum of care that connects patients to the expertise, innovation and compassionate support they need—wherever they enter the Riverside system. Thank you for helping bring advanced care, peace of mind and hope closer to home.
