By Stephen Smoot
Almost a half century ago, Union Protestant Hospital and St. Mary’s merged to form United Hospital Center. Now one of the key pillars in the West Virginia University Medicine network of hospitals, UHC serves as one of the leaders in health care for the Mountain State.
In July, UHC showed once again how it looks for innovative solutions to significant problems. Lora Edgell went to the Harrison County Commission to seek support for a different kind of life saving equipment that they normally get.
They asked for $15,000 to help with the purchase of a safe haven baby box.
Where states have legalized the practice, safe haven baby boxes are installed in a hospital or a fire department for . . . mothers to anonymously surrender a baby without any harm.”
“We hope we never have to use this box,” Edgell said, but added that it’s “available if we need it.” Very few exist in West Virginia, though 800 are in service across the United States.
The Commission approved funding support for the safe haven, marking another win in UHC’s quest to provide the best health care and community service possible – even in West Virginia’s smaller cities and rural areas.
Dr, David Hess, UHC CEO and Shinnston resident, said last spring that “people are fed up with big cities and they will migrate to small town in West Virginia and around the country.” Since, as Hess said “we know we have to take care of them,” UHC and the WVU Medicine system continues to push its capabilities.
“We’re doing things that Mayo Clinic doesn’t do,” he noted.
West Virginia has an aging population. Part of that comes from the increasing influx of retirees, but better health care and preventative medicine helps individuals lead longer lives. Longer lives mean increasing chances of the significant problems that strike in old age, such as cancer, strokes, orthopedic problems, and more.
Hess notes that “our cancer patients constantly give us accolades” for high quality care and patient service. The commitment does not stop there. He added that “we have amazing surgeons who do all kinds of surgeries.” UHC has added to its ortho-spine center and has expanded its operating room capacity significantly.
UHC and WVU Medicine places a premium on recruiting not just the best new medical talent, but also the right fit. Hess said “we need more primary care physicians,” especially those who work with preventative medicine.
Some of that talent comes from up and coming residents. Residents work on medical staffs as understudies for more experienced doctors. Hare, they choose a specialty and work toward mastering it. Hess takes pride in the residents at UHC, saying “I’ve never had more faith and excitement in the future of health care” than after engaging with the residents in his hospital.
UHC also seeks out experienced doctors, focusing when possible on one important characteristic. Hess takes particular pride in convincing physicians with West Virginia roots to come home to practice. This helps to develop and reinforce the bonds between health care and community.
Of course the lifeblood of a hospital lies in its nurses. They take care of most of the day-to-day patient contact and frequently are the first to see patients on the worst days of their lives. UHC devotes tremendous effort to “further extending that culture of kindness” that the hospital has earned a reputation for having.
UHC serves as a leader in developing the next generation of nurses. As Hess states, Leslie Perine, who also served as an assistant professor of nursing at the former Alderson-Broaddus University, “put nursing education on the map” at UHC. The culture of kindness extends to building an atmosphere that “nurses don’t want to leave.”
In an era of chronic nursing shortages, UHC’s reputation as a great workplace environment gives it a true advantage in attracting and retaining the best.
Hess has seen his hospital earn its share of awards. Just this year, UHC became only the fourth hospital in the Mountain State to earn a “baby-friendly” certification. It has also earned two separate Press Ganey awards. One was for “Pinnacle of Excellence for Physician Engagement” for the second straight year. The other was a “Guardian of Excellence Award for Patient Experience” for the third consecutive year.
UHC also has earned three stars for vascular quality the past two years and was selected as one of the best maternity hospitals in America in 2023 by Newsweek and Statista.
This represented only a handful of the countless prestigious accolades awarded.
Hess, who describes his vision as expansionist, also spearheaded the establishment of a high quality care facility in Elkins that provides all medical services except for surgeries. This serves as an example of UHC and WVU Medicine’s mission to extend big city level care to its facilities across the state, whether one needs care in Clarksburg or Keyser, in Parkersburg or Petersburg.
The quality of a community rests in a large part on the capability of its health care system. UHC helps to provide a vital foundation for Harrison County’s prosperity and community yesterday, today, and tomorrow.