Written by Mission Realty Property Management
Setting up healthcare is one of the least exciting parts of relocating and one of the most consequential to get wrong. People handle utilities in a week and then discover eight months later, when something is actually wrong, that they never found a primary care doctor and the practices near them are not accepting patients.
Richmond is well served for a metro of its size, with three major health systems and a substantial medical education presence. Knowing how they are arranged makes the setup considerably faster.
Quick Answer
The Richmond region is served primarily by three health systems: VCU Health, anchored by an academic medical center downtown; Bon Secours, with several hospitals across the region; and HCA Virginia, which operates multiple facilities including hospitals in Chesterfield and Henrico. New residents should confirm which systems and practices are in-network for their insurance before choosing a provider, establish primary care early rather than waiting, and identify their nearest emergency department and urgent care in advance.
The Three Systems
VCU Health
Anchored by an academic medical center in downtown Richmond associated with Virginia Commonwealth University. As a teaching hospital it handles complex and specialized care, operates a Level I trauma center, and includes a children’s hospital. For serious or unusual conditions, this is generally where regional referrals go.
Bon Secours
Operates multiple hospitals and a network of outpatient practices across the Richmond area, including facilities in the West End, the Northside area, and elsewhere in the region.
HCA Virginia
Operates several facilities in the region, including hospitals serving Chesterfield and Henrico, with associated outpatient locations.
All three run networks of primary care and specialty practices well beyond their hospital campuses, which is where most people will actually receive routine care.
Start With Your Insurance, Not With a Provider
This is the sequencing mistake newcomers make most often. People find a well-reviewed practice, then discover it is out of network.
Work in this order:
- Confirm which systems and practices your plan covers. Use your insurer’s directory, and call the practice directly to confirm — directories are frequently out of date.
- Check whether they are accepting new patients. A practice being in-network does not mean it has capacity.
- Ask about wait times for a first appointment. This varies enormously and is worth knowing before you commit.
- Confirm hospital affiliation. Which hospital a practice admits to matters if you ever need inpatient care.
If you are relocating for a job, your new employer’s benefits team can usually tell you which local systems their plan works best with. That single conversation saves considerable time.
Establish Primary Care Before You Need It
The most common regret among new residents is waiting. A primary care practice that would have taken you as a new patient in March may have a months-long wait in October, and establishing care while healthy is dramatically easier than doing it while unwell.
Practical steps: request records from your previous provider before you move, bring a current medication list, and schedule an initial visit within the first couple of months rather than waiting for a reason.
Families should establish pediatric care early as well. Well-regarded pediatric practices in desirable areas fill, and schools require immunization records, so having a local provider before the school year matters.
Urgent Care Versus Emergency
Knowing the difference in advance saves money and time.
Urgent care suits minor injuries, illnesses, infections, and similar issues outside regular office hours. Costs are typically far below an emergency department, and waits are usually shorter. Urgent care locations operate throughout the Richmond region under all three systems and independently.
Emergency departments are for serious or potentially life-threatening conditions — chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe injury, stroke symptoms, and similar.
Identify both your nearest urgent care and your nearest emergency department now, and note their hours. Urgent care hours vary and not all are open late. Doing this while nothing is wrong is worth the ten minutes.
Other Practical Setup
- Pharmacy. Choose one convenient to home or work and transfer prescriptions early. Confirm it is in your plan’s network.
- Dental and vision. Separate networks from medical in most plans. Establish these too.
- Specialists. If you manage an ongoing condition, arrange the referral and first appointment as early as possible — specialist waits are longer than primary care.
- Records. Request complete records from previous providers, including imaging where relevant. This is easier before you leave than afterwards.
- Patient portals. Each system runs its own. Setting up access early makes scheduling and results considerably easier.
- Mental health. Confirm coverage and availability. Wait times vary, and starting the search early matters.
Community Health Resources
The region has federally qualified health centers and free or reduced-cost clinics serving residents without insurance or with limited coverage. Local health districts operate under the Virginia Department of Health, which publishes information on immunizations, public health services, and clinic locations by locality.
Anyone between jobs, without coverage, or uncertain about options should start there rather than assuming nothing is available.
What to Do in the First Month
A short sequence that gets healthcare genuinely sorted rather than half-sorted.
Week one. Confirm your insurance is active at your new address and check whether your plan’s network changed with the move — employer plans sometimes have region-specific networks. Locate your nearest emergency department and urgent care, and note the urgent care’s hours.
Week two. Choose and transfer a pharmacy. Request complete records from your previous providers, including any imaging, and ask how they will be transmitted.
Week three. Call two or three in-network primary care practices. Ask whether they are accepting new patients, what the wait is for an initial appointment, and which hospital they admit to. Book the first reasonable option rather than holding out — you can change later, and having a provider on record matters more than optimizing the choice.
Week four. Set up the patient portal, schedule dental and vision if your plan covers them, and arrange any specialist referrals. If anyone in the household manages an ongoing condition, this is the priority rather than the afterthought.
A note for families
Schools require immunization records, and Virginia has specific requirements that may differ from your previous state. Records from out of state sometimes need review or supplementation, and this is the item most likely to delay enrollment. Handle it before the school year rather than during the first week.
A note for anyone arriving between jobs
If you are without coverage during a transition, community health centers and local health districts serve residents regardless of insurance status. Knowing that option exists before you need it is worth the few minutes it takes to look up.
Insurance and Cost Questions
Two practical matters that come up for people arriving in a new state.
If your coverage is changing
A move frequently coincides with a job change, and gaps in coverage are common during transitions. Options for coverage between employer plans include continuation coverage from a prior employer and marketplace plans, and a permanent move to a new state generally qualifies as a life event permitting enrollment outside the usual window. Details and current options are available through healthcare.gov.
Understanding what you will pay
In-network care costs substantially less than out-of-network, which is why confirming network participation before your first appointment matters more than it may seem. Ask practices directly rather than relying solely on an insurer’s directory, since directories are frequently out of date.
For any planned procedure, ask about cost in advance. Hospitals are required to publish pricing information, and asking what something will cost before it happens is both reasonable and increasingly expected.
If you are uninsured
Community health centers operate on sliding-scale fees based on income, and local health districts under the Virginia Department of Health provide certain services regardless of insurance status. Emergency departments must provide stabilizing treatment regardless of ability to pay, though this is not a substitute for regular care and is the most expensive route to it.
Urgent Care or Emergency Room?
Choosing wrong costs money and time. A rough guide — when in doubt about anything on the right-hand column, call 911.
| Urgent care is usually appropriate | Go to the emergency room or call 911 |
|---|---|
| Minor cuts that may need stitches | Chest pain or pressure |
| Sprains and suspected minor fractures | Signs of stroke — face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty |
| Fever without severe symptoms | Difficulty breathing |
| Sore throat, ear infection, sinus symptoms | Severe or uncontrolled bleeding |
| Rashes and minor allergic reactions | Severe allergic reaction or swelling of the throat |
| Urinary tract symptoms | Head injury with confusion or loss of consciousness |
| Minor burns | Sudden severe pain, or a serious injury |
If you are unsure and it is not clearly an emergency, many insurers and practices operate a 24-hour nurse advice line. Using it is free and it is often the fastest way to get a sensible answer at 11:00 PM.
Numbers and Resources Worth Saving
- 911 — emergencies
- 988 — the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7 by call or text for mental health crises
- 1-800-222-1222 — Poison Control, staffed around the clock and worth programming into your phone if you have children
- Virginia Department of Health — immunization requirements, vital records, and local health district contacts
- HealthCare.gov — marketplace coverage, including the special enrollment period that a permanent move can trigger
- Cover Virginia — Medicaid and FAMIS eligibility and enrollment
- Virginia DPOR and the relevant health regulatory boards — for verifying professional licensure
One point that catches newcomers: a permanent move can qualify you for a special enrollment period on the health insurance marketplace, outside the usual open enrollment window. If you have relocated to Richmond and your coverage no longer works here, check whether that applies to you rather than waiting until the next open enrollment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hospitals are in Richmond, Virginia?
The region is served primarily by VCU Health, Bon Secours, and HCA Virginia, which together operate multiple hospitals across Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield.
How do I find a doctor in Richmond?
Start with your insurer’s network directory, then call practices directly to confirm both network status and whether they are accepting new patients.
How soon should I set up healthcare after moving?
Within the first month or two. Establishing care while healthy is far easier than doing it during an illness, and waits for new patients can be long.
What is the difference between urgent care and the emergency room?
Urgent care handles minor injuries and illnesses at lower cost with shorter waits. Emergency departments handle serious or potentially life-threatening conditions.
Does Richmond have a children’s hospital?
Yes. VCU Health includes a children’s hospital, and pediatric services are available through the region’s health systems.
What if I do not have insurance?
Federally qualified health centers and free or reduced-cost clinics operate in the region. The Virginia Department of Health publishes resources and local health district information.
New to the Richmond Area?
Proximity to healthcare is worth weighing alongside commute and schools when choosing where to live, particularly for families and anyone managing an ongoing condition.
Browse available rentals, explore our Learning Center for relocation and neighborhood guides, or contact our team.
This article is general information, not medical advice, and does not endorse any provider. Confirm current network participation, locations, and services directly.