Photo by Derek Redd WVU Medicine North Region President Douglass Harrison, second from left, discusses the upcoming WVU Cancer Institute St. Joseph Regional Cancer Complex during a Monday lunch and fireside chat. Also on stage are, from left, , Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron, Josh Jefferson, president of the Regional Economic Development Partnership and chairman of the board of directors for WVU Medicine Wheeling and Reynolds Memorial hospitals, and Maria Diaz-Chatlak, nursing manager for hematology and oncology for WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, and Jessica Moore, WVU Medicine's associate vice president of foundation and community relations.

WHEELING – There is plenty of excitement at WVU Medicine surrounding the upcoming WVU Cancer Institute St. Joseph Regional Cancer Complex. Officials said Monday afternoon that dirt would start moving at the complex’s future site, the former Ohio Valley Medical Center campus, later this month.

WVU Medicine officials wanted to share that excitement with community leaders, so they held a lunch and fireside chat Monday at Wheeling Park’s White Palace to update those who already are community partners with the project, as well as show potential community partners what they could be part of.

Prominent figures in healthcare, education, government and industry listened to the chat, moderated by Jessica Moore, WVU Medicine’s associate vice president of foundation and community relations, the panel included WVU Medicine North Region President Douglass Harrison, Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron, Josh Jefferson, president of the Regional Economic Development Partnership and chairman of the board of directors for WVU Medicine Wheeling and Reynolds Memorial hospitals, and Maria Diaz-Chatlak, nursing manager for hematology and oncology for WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital.

After a quick review of how the new cancer complex came to be, the panel started talking about what it plans and hopes for what the complex will be. Moore said the complex will be a “healing space,” where cancer patients from the Ohio Valley can come and fight the disease without being forced to travel long distances.

The all-in-one aspect of the complex is something Diaz-Chatlak said she couldn’t wait to take advantage of.

“Cancer care tends to be multidisciplinary approach,” she said. “So we do need imaging. We do need a dedicated lab. We need to offer clinical trials right on site. To be able to do that under one big roof, it’s incredible.”

Harrison said the opportunity to conduct those clinical trials is of the utmost importance. He said the WVU Cancer Institute is pursuing designation from the National Cancer Institute to join a larger group of academic medical centers to enhance its research component.

Some may not want to be guinea pigs for clinical trials, but Harrison said those trials are essential for WVU Medicine’s work.

“Clinical trials are the only way we’ve been able to advance cancer cures in this country,” he said. “So we’ve got to get more people. We need to change that stigma. We need to do more research and do more education. So we’re excited about what this (cancer complex) means.”

Beyond the clinical and medical aspects, Moore mentioned other more personal aspects that would enhance the complex’s role as a healing place. She talked about the color palettes being used in the design, so the inside of the complex would be a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The stained glass windows from Mount de Chantal will be featured in the complex’s chapel. And those who may lose their hair through chemotherapy will have an on-site boutique to find wigs.

The impact of this complex will be felt well beyond its walls, Jefferson said. The economic impact will be significant, with patients, family members and employees able to take advantage of the restaurants and shops in Centre Market. Herron mentioned that when OVMC closed its doors, Centre Market’s business dropped by more than 30%, so he’s hopeful the cancer complex’s debut will revitalize that.

The panel fielded several questions, including about housing for new employees that would move into Wheeling to work at the complex. Jefferson said that’s a nut everyone is still trying to crack, citing lack of infrastructure and the simple lack of flat land as hurdles.

“It is on the radar,” Jefferson said. “We’re trying to address it. There are some things we tried to address that, candidly, did not work. But we’re going to keep trying and work with our partners to do it.”