WHEELING — Advanced health care in the Ohio Valley entered a new era when West Virginia University Health Systems fully embraced WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital as part of its network on April 1, yet the foundation of that change has been under construction for several years.

WVU Health Systems has operated the hospital since 2019, but now it has become fully integrated into the network as a full member-system hospital. With that comes many benefits. WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital now can tap into the resources of the entire WVU health system, taking advantage of the knowledge and technology of hospitals throughout the Mountain State. Most notable among those is J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, the main hub of WVU Medicine.

Speaking of hubs, WVU Medicine plans on Wheeling Hospital becoming the main tertiary hub of the network in the Northern Panhandle. More advanced medical needs can be taken care of in Wheeling, with the most advanced cases sent to Morgantown. And hospitals throughout the region such as WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial in Glen Dale and Wetzel County Hospital in New Martinsville can take advantage of Wheeling Hospital’s resources in treating patients locally.

The region already enjoys several significant programs that WVU Medicine provides, including its Heart and Vascular Institute, its telestroke program, and its Center for Skin Cancer and Melanoma. Also, with WVU Medicine in place in Wheeling, the hospital’s pediatric care and emergency medicine programs will benefit significantly.

In honor of his event, we have created a commemorative section that can be found inside today’s edition, detailing Wheeling Hospital fully joining WVU Medicine. WVU Medicine officials discuss exactly what the Ohio Valley will see now that the move is official, and what residents could see in the future.

The celebration doesn’t stop there. WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital will hold an invitation-only event Friday to officially mark Wheeling Hospital joining the WVU Medicine system. It’s a move that is expected to benefit the entire region.