Photos by Linda Comins LAWRENCE BANDI, left, new chairman of Wheeling Hospital’s board, welcomes Douglass E. Harrison, the hospital’s new CEO, on Thursday. Wheeling Hospital and WVU Medicine have entered into a management services agreement

WHEELING — Wheeling Hospital’s board envisions the facility will go to “the next level” as a medical provider under a management services agreement signed with the West Virginia University Health System.

The boards of directors of the hospital and WVU Medicine announced Thursday they have entered into a management services agreement and named Douglass E. Harrison as Wheeling Hospital’s new CEO.

“I’m excited to be here and lead this great institution forward. I look forward to getting involved in the community,” Harrison said.

Wheeling Hospital’s board formally approved the agreement and Harrison’s hiring at a meeting Thursday afternoon. The board also elected Lawrence Bandi of Wheeling as its new chairman.

Archbishop William E. Lori, apostolic administrator of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, appointed Bandi as his representative to Wheeling Hospital on June 10, after Monsignor Kevin Quirk resigned as board chair.

“We are grateful to the board and the archdiocese for the trust they have placed in our team to help manage Wheeling Hospital and ensure it continues to serve the people of Wheeling for generations to come,” said Albert L. Wright Jr., president and CEO of West Virginia University Health System. “The hospital and its employees will be in great hands with Doug (Harrison) at the helm.”

WVU Medicine’s name won’t be going on the hospital because the new arrangement is a management services agreement, not an acquisition, Bandi said.

“This hospital has been a Catholic hospital. The Catholic identity is utmost in importance to me and to the board,” he said.

Under the management agreement, Wheeling Hospital is able to maintain its Catholic principles and retain ownership of the facility, he added.

At the same time, he said, “We wanted to develop a stronger relationship with WVU Medicine.”

Discussing the move, Bandi said, “We think it’s a wonderful opportunity to take Wheeling Hospital to the next level in serving the needs of the community and beyond.”

Goals going forward are “to continue to grow the institution, bringing additional resources to bear and providing services that we did not have,” Bandi said.

As CEO, Harrison said he seeks to maintain Wheeling Hospital’s clinical presence and increase its clinical footprint. He wants to make sure the hospital has the services and resources necessary to treat patients locally whenever possible.

“This hospital is an economic engine for the Ohio Valley,” Harrison said. “We want to make sure that continues for this area.”

While maintaining day-to-day operation of the hospital, the CEO plans to assess and fill needs at the medical facility.

“We’ll make sure we have backup and coverage for physicians and make sure we’re filling those specialty needs as well as we can,” Harrison said.

Bandi agreed, saying, “I believe the board looks to identify opportunities and identify deficiencies and to address those. … We’re looking forward to Douglass’ experience in accomplishing opportunities and eliminating deficiencies.”

The hospital’s leaders don’t anticipate that employees and patients will see “any significant changes other than to grow the institution and our capabilities,” Bandi said.

Harrison said the hospital will continue to use local vendors and suppliers.

“The goal is always to use local resources,” he said.

For the past four years, Harrison has served as executive vice president of health care integration and network development for WVU Medicine. Before that time, he served for more than 11 years as an executive at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Kareen Simon, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Wheeling Hospital, had been serving as interim CEO and will return to her former position effective immediately. She was named interim CEO in late May, after former CEO Ronald Violi retired. During Violi’s tenure, his company, R&V Associates Ltd., had served as the hospital’s contracted management consultant.

Meanwhile, Wheeling Hospital is still facing two civil court actions: a complaint by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging the hospital violated the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute, and a lawsuit filed by Louis Longo, a former executive vice president at the hospital.

The legal proceedings remain ongoing, Bandi said. A timetable for disposition of the matters hasn’t been determined.