By Stephen Smoot
As part of its “true north” mission to expand vital services beyond West Virginia’s major cities, WVU Medicine celebrated the groundbreaking of the Elkins Corridor Medical Center located only a mile from US 48/Corridor H.
Dr. David Hess, CEO and President of United Hospital center, served as emcee for the occasion.
“This is the fun part of the job,” he shared.
The event opened with an invocation from UHC Chaplain Johnmark Camenga, who prayed “our Heavenly Father, we are here today to ask Your blessing.”
Hess explained that part of the original idea for the Elkins facility came from area patients who “want more specialists,” including in-demand physicians based in Clarksburg and Bridgeport. This includes, Hess said, Dr. John McKnight, a popular cardiologist with WVU Medicine.
WVU Medicine’s Elkins facility was described by both Hess and Dr. Albert Wright, President and CEO of West Virginia University Health System, as a “hospital without beds,” meaning “that we will have everything at this facility that a hospital would have” except for overnight stays and surgeries.
Unlike other academic university based health care systems, WVU Medicine uses the opposite dynamic in its health care delivery model. As Hess described, others “act like vacuum cleaners” in that they take the kinds of surgeries and other work and development opportunities from smaller and/or rural facilities and make patients come to the central hub for these services.
“We’re a blower,” explains Hess, who elaborated by saying that WVU Medicine recruits physicians who want to perform procedures and other services in the outlying areas. To maximize efficiency, their physicians operate much like old Methodist preacher “circuit riders,” traveling between facilities in a region to provide “world class” care.
This strategy brings health care professionals to rural areas in West Virginia by giving them enhanced opportunities that rural areas in other states do not offer. Many grew up in different parts of West Virginia, enjoy outdoors recreation, or wish to raise their children in small towns.
Both Hess and Wright touched on the dual benefit of expanded access to health care and also the addition of good paying jobs to the local community. They thanked both the City of Elkins and Randolph County officials for support and cooperation.
It will offer primary care, urgent care, imaging, infusions, and a broad spectrum of other health care services. The $34 million dollar facility will cover 30,000 square feet when completed.
Dignitaries who attended the event included Robbie Morris, executive director of the Randolph County Development Authority, Lynn Phillips, who represented Governor Jim Justice, Rhett Dusenbury representing Congressman Alex Mooney, and other local officials.