The Virginia Department of Health today approved a new 120-bed Sentara Healthcare hospital in the Princess Anne section of Virginia Beach, but denied a similar application by Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System.

The department also denied Bon Secours’ plans for a smaller replacement hospital for its aging DePaul Medical Center and a new hospital in northern Suffolk, said Paul Boynton, former executive director for the Eastern Virginia Health Systems agency.

The decision represents a blow for Bon Secours, which also been seeking a solution for financially ailing DePaul. Bon Secours officials previously had said a negative decision from the state could force them to close the facility. The Catholic health system was also seeking to expand its hospital operations in Virginia Beach and Suffolk, where it has outpatient facilities.

Sentara also received an approval for a 30-bed expansion for its Obici Hospital in Suffolk.