KEYSER, W.Va. — WVU Hospitals has signed a letter of intent to purchase Potomac Valley Hospital in Keyser.
WVU Hospitals President Bruce McClymonds said Tuesday they’ve been in discussions for the past few years with PVH owner Hal McBee.
“He’s owned it for over 30 years. He approached us several years ago and we ultimately decided the best next step is for us to buy the hospital from him,” McClymonds said.
WVU Hospitals is working on a Certificate of Need that it will submit to the West Virginia Health Care Authority later this summer for approval.
“We’re buying the stock of the company, so we’re buying the entire company,” McClymonds said. “We’re still going through the process. All that’s been done so far is that we’ve signed a letter of intent between the parties.”
Potomac Valley Hospital first opened in 1903. A building was constructed in 1931 with a third floor added in 1966 and an annex in 1976. A new building was constructed in 2008 at a cost of $18 million. It is currently a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital.
McClymonds said WVU Hospitals mission is to improve the health of West Virginians and they have several patients referred to Morgantown from the Keyser area and this purchase is a way to improve health care for residents in Mineral County and the surrounding area.
“It’s an opportunity for us to get involved in this hospital in Keyser and better pursue our mission to make things better for everybody,” he said.
McClymonds added WVU Hospitals also looks forward to working with officials at Potomac State College of WVU.