Bon Secours Health System has filed an application to establish a new hospital in North Suffolk, officials announced on Monday.

The health system applied for a certificate of public need to establish a new two-story, 76,000-square-foot facility at Bon Secours Health Center at Harbour View. Bon Secours announced its plans on June 4.

The Virginia Department of Health’s COPN program requires owners and sponsors of medical care facility projects to secure the certificate from the state health commissioner before providing care services.

“The program seeks to contain health care costs while ensuring financial viability and access to health care for all Virginia at a reasonable cost,” according to the VDH website.

The application proposes that 18 acute care beds and four operating rooms be relocated from its Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth, along with selected surgical services, according to the press release. Maryview will continue to offer comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services with a greater focus on aging patients that require longer and more complex inpatient stays.

The press release states that the new hospital is in response to the community’s growing need for better inpatient care, specifically surgical patients that are not expected to require extended inpatient stays.

“We are pleased to introduce a new model of care by proposing a short-stay, surgically focused hospital for the Bon Secours Harbour View campus,” Bon Secours Virginia Health System Chief Executive Officer Toni R. Ardabell stated in the press release. “This is another example of Bon Secours’ commitment to bringing innovative health care to North Suffolk in an effort to meet our community’s need for inpatient care.”

The next step for the COPN process will be a public hearing this fall. Officials are anticipating the health commissioner’s decision later this year, according to the press release.