DEACON PAUL LIM

For Deacon Paul Lim, Catholic identity is not a label — it is an action.

“Catholic isn’t an adjective. It’s a verb,” he said.

As Vice President of Mission Integration at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, Lim ensures the hospital remains faithful to its Catholic identity while operating within the larger framework of the WVU Health System. That commitment was part of the structure agreed upon between the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and WVU Medicine, preserving the hospital’s longstanding spiritual foundation while strengthening its regional reach.

Wheeling Hospital was founded in 1850 by Bishop Richard Whelan and Dr. Simon Hullihen. At the time, it was the only hospital — Catholic or secular — between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. The first staff members were the Sisters of St. Joseph, whose charism of compassion continues to influence the hospital today.

“Our Catholic identity isn’t just part of our history — it shapes our present and our future,” Lim said. “When we decide to grow, build, or expand, we’re doing it on the shoulders of dedicated people who saw a need and responded. We’re going to respond the way they did.”

That sense of continuity guides everything from strategic growth to daily patient care.

For Lim, mission integration is not abstract — it is visible from the moment someone enters the building.

At the hospital’s main entrance stands a statue of St. Joseph, patron of both the diocese and the hospital — a quiet reminder of its spiritual roots. Lim regularly sees staff members stop in the chapel before beginning their shifts. The Pastoral Care Department frequently receives requests for blessings, sacramentals, and devotional items, reflecting attentiveness to patients’ spiritual as well as physical needs.

On days such as Ash Wednesday, chaplains and volunteers offer services in the chapel and throughout patient care areas.

“In a very real sense, our staff don’t have to leave work to go to church,” Lim said. “They are the Church at work.”

He also oversees the Pastoral Care Department, Social Work, and Care Management Services, ensuring the hospital’s support extends beyond medical treatment. A strong Medical Ethics Service is available to consult on complex clinical issues, aligning decisions with both sound medical practice and Catholic teaching. Additionally, a Critical Incident Stress Management Team supports employees during traumatic or high-stress events.

“Caring for the caregiver has always been part of our mission,” Lim said.

The word “Catholic,” Lim noted, means “universal.”

“For 175 years, we have cared for every person who comes to us, regardless of their beliefs,” he said

Many non-Catholics, he added, value the hospital’s faith-based conviction and want its heritage to continue within the strength and excellence of WVU Medicine.

Lim sees access to high-quality healthcare close to home as the community’s greatest need. Without it, early diagnosis, long-term outcomes, and overall quality of life suffer.

That need has driven major expansions, including the new St. Joseph Regional Cancer Center Complex and the Robert Sonneborn Family Pediatric Center, along with continued growth across WVU Medicine’s North Region.

“These expansions aren’t just construction projects,” Lim said. “They are mission-driven responses to real gaps in care, especially for the underserved.”

The hospital partners with organizations such as Wheeling Health Right and Catholic Charities West Virginia to serve vulnerable populations. A Charity Care Program assists patients facing financial hardship, while the Medical Park Foundation provides philanthropic support for initiatives that directly benefit underserved residents.

“Being part of WVU Medicine has strengthened our abilities and expanded what we can accomplish together,” he says.

Since stepping into his role, Lim has been struck by the deep personal connection people feel toward Wheeling Hospital.

“I meet people every day who want to talk about how we’re growing and how we’re staying true to our mission,” he says.

He frequently hears stories from community members who were born at the hospital or whose families have relied on it for generations.

“There is genuine pride and ownership here,” Lim said. “People don’t see this as just a hospital — they see it as their hospital.”

Ordained a permanent deacon in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh in 2020, Lim brings both theological grounding and healthcare leadership experience to his position which he said allows for the best of best of both worlds “in theory and practice.”

Lim holds bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and social work, a master’s degree in social work from University of Pittsburgh, and an MBA from Chatham University. A licensed social worker, he previously served as director of Health Management at UPMC St. Margaret. He and his wife are the parents of four children.

Looking ahead five years, Lim hopes drivers along Interstate 70 will look up at the hospital campus with pride.

“I want them pointing and saying, ‘That’s where I received the treatment that changed my life,’ or ‘That’s where my child received exceptional care,'” he said.

Above all, he wants the community to continue seeing Wheeling Hospital as what it has always sought to be – faith-based, dedicated to service and committed to compassionate healthcare.

For Deacon Paul Lim, mission integration is not simply a title. It is faith put into action — every day, for every patient.