Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Sentara Martha Jefferson Medical Group has officially gifted Buckingham County the former Buckingham Family Medicine building and the land it sits upon.

Last summer, Sentara announced the impending closure of its Dillwyn location. The move disappointed many citizens as it would leave few local health care options for residents.

Although the location was originally slated to close in October 2020, Sentara later agreed to extend its operation through Dec. 23, 2020. In February 2021, county officials announced they were in talks with Sentara regarding a real property donation agreement which would see the 2,700 square foot facility and the surrounding lot donated to the county.

During a Monday, May 10, Buckingham Board of Supervisors meeting, the board approved the contract agreement for the donation of the building and land.

District 4 Supervisor and Board Vice Chair Thomas Jordan Miles III said Friday, May 21, it is the county’s intention to use the donated facility to incentivize another medical provider to locate or expand into Buckingham.

“We’re going to be aggressive in our search and have already started that process,” Miles said. “That’s the first step. There’s clearly a need for more medical and health care options in our county, so there is definitely a market for a provider.”

Miles said the county is determined to work hard to attract a health care provider to the vacant building.

“As I said last year, there is such a thing as corporate responsibility with private industry. Sentara owed it to the people of Buckingham County to compromise, to meet us halfway, and they did. We’re so pleased that Sentara stepped up to the plate for the county as we exit this terrible pandemic of COVID-19 and knocked the ball out of the park.”