Dr. Michael Rao,Toni Ardabell
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Children’s hospital plan evaporates
Richmond will not be gaining an independent, free-standing children’s hospital — at least not in the near future. Two of the area’s largest hospital systems, Bon Secours and VCU, have pulled out of the huge project — just seven months after signing an agreement to participate in creating the projected $600 million children’s health center. The participation of the two systems, which handle about 75 percent of all pediatric hospitalizations in the region, was seen as key.