WVU Medicine To Bring Outpatient Clinic To The Highlands

TRIADELPHIA - WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital is cramped for space, and hospital officials announced Friday plans to bring additional and more easily accessible health care services locally by opening an outpatient clinic at The Highlands in Ohio County.

The announcement came Friday morning at The Highlands Event Center - just across Wharton Circle from where the clinic will be located.

The future 17,000 square-foot facility is taking over the first floor of the former AT&T call center space in the Town Center section at The Highlands. Contractors could be seen working in the space on Friday.

For months, urology services haven’t been easily available to Ohio County residents, who have had to travel elsewhere. This week, two urology doctors opened their office at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, and they will later be operating out of the new clinical facility at The Highlands, explained David Phillips, chief operating officer at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital.

The clinic will also offer ophthalmology, orthopedic sports medicine, rapid care and primary care services, as well as opportunities for laboratory work and diagnostic X rays.

Phillips said WVU Medicine has been working for some time with the Ohio County Development Authority to negotiate the project and determine how the two entities could best work together.

"Why? Why are we looking to expand to this location? And why are we looking to take services from our hospital campus to other off-site locations?" he asked. "The reason behind that is access. We want to make sure people have access to all levels of care they need. We also want to make sure that in providing that access, it is easy for them to use and get in and out of for the services they need.

"We want to make sure that when you have come to the hospital we are there for you. We also want to make sure we are there for you at other locations, as well."

Transportation is often a barrier to health care, Phillips continued. By providing health care at various locations throughout the Ohio Valley it helps the hospital to meet its goal of improving the health of all living in the area.

Phillips added that as the hospital has added new medical providers and services to its offices: "Quite honestly, we're running out of exam space at 1 Medical Park."

The hospital is also looking at the possibility of acquiring additional space at The Highlands, he acknowledged. But their focus for the time being is on the establishment of the outpatient clinic, according to Phillips.

He added that many patients in the Washington County area seek treatment at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, and there are expectations that more revenue could be generated for the hospital by having the facility at The Highlands to more easily attract those from western Pennsylvania.

Ohio County Commissioner Randy Wharton, also president of the Ohio County Development Authority, explained The Highlands development looks "a lot different today than what the original vision was."

"That's a good thing," he continued. "The diversification we have been able to achieve up here is one thing that has kept development strong here. This type of activity (health care) is just the type of diversification we need to continue to do."

He termed WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital "Ohio County's largest employer," and the staff and its visiting patients will continue much to The Highlands development.

"I anticipate on a daily, monthly or annual basis there will be hundreds and hundreds of people who come to The Highlands because of this," Wharton said. "They will stay around and shop and maybe eat in one of our restaurants or stay in one of our hotels. By chance, they get a chance to visit The Highlands Sports Complex for the first time and everybody wins."

Douglass Harrison, president and CEO of Wheeling Hospital, added the new location "represents another important investment in the health of our region."

“By bringing multiple specialties together in one convenient location, we’re improving access, enhancing the patient experience, and continuing our commitment to delivering exceptional care where our communities live, work, and grow," he said.

Additional information regarding the facility, including an opening timeline, will be announced at a later date.