Dr. Robert Elliott spent Sunday afternoon surveying damage after a fire ripped through Staunton River Family Physicians, destroying the 12-year-old medical center on Pocket Road in Hurt.
“It’s a tragedy,” Elliott said, looking at gutted exam rooms and charred equipment. “This community, I think, has survived a lot of things.”
Hurt Fire Chief Brian Dudley believes electrical problems in the attic caused the fire.
Physician Assistant Alan Dansberry and a custodian were in the office when the fire was reported at 1:20 p.m. Saturday.
Hurt volunteer firefighters rushed to the scene and encountered heavy smoke.
Dudley sent a four-man team into the building to fight the flames, but pulled them out after 15 minutes when the roof started to buckle.
“I began to see signs of collapse in the roof,” Dudley said. “It burned through the whole attic like burning through paper.”
Built in 2000 with lightweight wood, the medical center did not have a sprinkler system or fire stops, the chief said.
“This fire has been a fear of mine since it was built,” Dudley said of the building. “We’ve been concerned about it.”
Firefighters battled the blaze outside with fire engine deck guns and large hand lines, working two hours to control the fire.
“This is devastating to the community to lose this facility,” Dudley said.
‘One foot in front
of the other’
The fire leveled the medical facility, forcing doctors to scramble to see patients at other locations this week.
Staunton River’s doctors, nurses and office staff met at Hurt Town Hall for two hours Sunday afternoon to map out this week’s schedule.
Staunton River Family Physicians is one of 14 medical offices for Central Virginia Family Physicians.
Elliott will treat patients at the Rustburg office, and Dansberry and nurse practitioner Kathy Worley will work at the Airport office near Lynchburg.
Dr. Lisa Larkin will treat patients at the New London branch.
Medical center staff will call patients with appointments this week.
The center’s 18 nurses and office employees will work with doctors at branch offices.
“It’s just extremely devastating,” said Larkin, who joined the practice one year ago. “We just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep the rebuilding process going.”
An Altavista native, Elliott said the company will rebuild on the Pocket Road site. He hopes to have a completed medical center in six to nine months.
“I hope they (citizens) see it as a centerpiece and facility of real value,” Elliott said. “It’s proven to be a success.”
Elliott worked with community leaders — chiefly former Hurt Mayor Pete Daniel — to start a medical facility, which included 14 exams rooms, a rehabilitation center and part-time optometrist.
“Anything that provides a sense of pride really helps,” Elliott said.
Over 50 percent of patient records were stored electronically through the company’s computer system, but many written records were lost in the fire, Elliott said.
The medical company is paying for 24-hour security to keep ruined records and equipment secure.
Rehab Associates of Central Virginia will treat patients at its offices in Brookneal and on Clifton Street in Lynchburg.
Dr. Josh Bailey, chief executive officer, is looking for a temporary location in Hurt or Altavista to treat patients.
“Our goal is to have a new facility to work out of and not reroute all of these patients permanently,” Bailey said.
The rehab office will team up with Staunton River Family Physicians when the new medical center is rebuilt on Pocket Road.
“We absolutely want to be back in the same location and provide the same level of service to our patients,” Bailey said.
The community has offered great support to the company, Bailey said.
“That speaks to what that facility has brought to this community,” he said.
Rehab Associates had completely switched to computer records, Bailey said.
‘It was so touching’
Elliott praised firefighters for working hard to put out the fire.
“They are a great, great team,” Elliott said. “Just to see them working to do something that was practically impossible, it was so touching.”
Elliott said Central Virginia Family Physicians began in 1993 with a mission to become a clinic “without walls.”
“We are now a clinic without walls,” Elliott said. “Turning onto Pocket Road and seeing that black smoke was not a good feeling.”
Dudley said over 40 firefighters from Hurt, Altavista and Gretna worked the blaze.
Altavista EMS treated many volunteers for heat exhaustion.
“They were dropping like flies at one point,” Dudley said. “Some gave it their all until they were falling with heat exhaustion.“
Dudley tried to get to Daniel’s portrait just inside the front doors, but the heat pushed him back.
“I don’t think anything was salvaged,” the fire chief said.
Dudley said firefighters will continue to monitor the building.
“It’s like a kick in the gut to us when we lose something like this in our backyard and means so much to the community,” Dudley said.
‘Taking care of
our patients’
Central Virginia Family Physicians Chief Operating Officer Brian Witt said the company is searching for a local temporary office to treat patients while building a new medical center.
“Our goal is the loyalty of our patients and taking care of our patients,” Witt said. “We want to make it as least inconvenient for our patients as possible.”
Witt stressed the Staunton River center’s strong patient base.
“We’ve been here for so many years,” he said. “It’s such an integral part of the community, and we want to keep that connection.”
“We want to continue to provide the best care we can for our patients,” Witt added.
Office Manager Diane Belinski drove to the medical center shortly after receiving a call from Dansberry Saturday.
“It was like watching your home burn,” Belinski said, tearing up. “Watching our offices and stuff (burn) is real hard.”
Belinski and other office employees are excited about finding a temporary location close to home.
“We hope to have a spot somewhere close where we can all be together,” Belinski said.
‘More hope here’
Hurt Mayor Lillian Gillespie described the fire as “a disaster.”
“I hope we can rebuild this,” Gillespie said, watching firefighters douse hot spots Saturday evening. “There is more hope here.”
Gillespie said the medical center worked closely with community leaders.
“It’s a place where anybody could come,” Gillespie said. “Dr. Elliott took just about everybody. This was a community center.”
Town Council member Rainy Clay said the fire took away a huge piece of the community.
“This was one of the biggest things we had here in Hurt,” Clay said.
Councilman Glenn Mitchell agreed. “It’s a huge, huge disaster. It’s hard to describe. It’s just a catastrophe.”
Staunton River Family Physicians’ patients should call 434-382-1100 for appointment needs and check the company’s website, www.cvfd.net, for updates.
In case of an emergency, patients can call 434-324-9150.
Rehab patients can call 434-324-9750 or 434-845-9053 to schedule appointments.