Sheltering Arms Completes $25M Expansion at West Creek Hospital

Sheltering Arms Institute announced completion of a $25 million expansion at its West Creek rehabilitation hospital in Goochland County on Jan. 8, 2026, increasing inpatient capacity and adding a new gym, community room and office space. The project converted existing shell space on the hospital’s fourth floor to create 30 private inpatient rooms, bringing total capacity to about 144 beds.

Construction officials said the expansion responds to higher-than-expected demand for inpatient rehabilitation services, including care for stroke recovery, traumatic brain injury and limb loss. The newly finished beds are slated to begin admitting patients later in January, providing additional local capacity for residents who need intensive post-acute therapy and support.

West Creek opened in June 2020 as a nonprofit joint venture between Sheltering Arms and VCU Health. Building the addition within the hospital’s existing shell reduced the need for a larger footprint and allowed the team to accelerate delivery of space that had been planned but not previously outfitted. The expansion also includes new common areas intended to support family visits and outpatient coordination.

For Goochland County residents and families, the expansion means greater local access to specialized rehabilitation care that often follows hospitalization for serious neurological, orthopedic and vascular events. Increased inpatient capacity can shorten wait times for transfer from acute hospitals and reduce travel burdens for patients and caregivers who previously had to seek care farther away.

Project partners on the expansion included Barton Malow as general contractor, HDR for architectural design and JLL for project management. In addition to the inpatient work at West Creek, related outpatient renovations are underway in Chesterfield to enhance therapy services outside the inpatient setting.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026, to mark the completion and the start of the new services. The expansion underscores a growing need for comprehensive rehabilitation services in the region and aims to strengthen the continuum of care available to Goochland County residents and neighboring communities.