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EORH St. Clairsville clinics likely will remain open

T-L Photo/JENNIFER COMPSTON-STROUGH East Ohio Regional Hospital Outpatient Centers I and II in St. Clairsville provide a variety of medical services to area residents. Despite the fact that East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry and Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling may close by October, an official with parent company Alecto Healthcare Services says it is likely many of the St. Clairsville offices will remain open.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The fate of the East Ohio Regional Hospital Outpatient Centers I and II in St. Clairsville is “in flux,” according to an official with Alecto Healthcare Services.

Daniel Dunmyer, president and CEO of EORH in Martins Ferry and Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, said last week that the hospitals have lost $37 million over the past two years and, as a result, will close. But Michael Sarrao, executive vice president of parent company Alecto, said the future of the outpatient centers is not so clear.

While some staff at the outpatient centers said Friday that those clinics will close when the hospitals shut their doors, Sarrao said the situation is not that simple.

“We don’t know right now,” Sarrao said. “Some positions are independent physicians. They can sublet space from us. The property isn’t owned by the hospitals, it’s owned by the Goodman Group.”

Sarrao said he believes the landlord at the clinics will want the tenants to stay in place. He said some who are in private practice likely will be able to negotiate their own lease agreements. Others, who are hospital employees, may transition to private practice and do the same.

“I suspect some locations’ doctors will make separate arrangements,” he added. “We’ll work with the Goodman Group. … It’s kind of in flux — it’s one of the things we’re working through.”

Sarrao added that he hopes at least some of the practitioners at the outpatient centers will be able to remain in the St. Clairsville community.

The St. Clairsville Outpatient Centers, located near Riesbeck’s on Plaza Drive, serve as outpatient laboratories and radiology services including mammogram, Dexascan and MRI services. Physical therapy also is offered at the outpatient centers.

According to the EORH website, outpatient services are an integral part of the health care system provided by EORH/OVMC. Outpatient staff members are responsible for completion of pre-operative and pre-procedure testing for all patients scheduled for surgery or invasive procedures. In addition, a variety of outpatient treatments and services are completed at the centers, ranging from administration of intravenous fluids or medications to chemotherapy, transfusion of blood or blood products, wound care, dressing changes, central line care, IV therapy procedures, injections, laboratory services and physician-performed procedures.

“With several convenient locations including OVMC, EORH, EORH Outpatient Center-St. Clairsville and East Ohio Regional Hospital Outpatient Center II-St. Clairsville, our outpatient services provide a whole new experience of convenient health care,” the site states.

Managing Editor Jennifer Compston-Strough contributed to this report.

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