CHARLESTON, W.Va. — WVU Medicine says the St. Francis Hospital Emergency Room Department in downtown Charleston will close next month and be moved to Thomas Hospital in South Charleston.
Officials said the move will clear the way for St. Francis to become what’s being described as “the state’s first full-service and comprehensive orthopaedic hospital.”
WVU Medicine President and CEO Albert Wright, who also serves as the interim president and CEO of Thomas Health, said Friday the emergency room will close Feb. 1. He said that will help clear the way for the transformation at St. Francis.
“This represents a tremendous opportunity to create a best-in-class, full-service orthopaedic hospital for the Charleston area and the southern region of West Virginia,” Wright said. “Patients can still receive the quality emergency care they have come to know and trust at Saint Francis on our Thomas campus in South Charleston.”
Plans for the orthopaedic hospital at St. Francis include inpatient and outpatient services, physical therapy, occupational therapy and skilled nursing.
“This will become a truly unique asset for the region and complement the outstanding orthopaedic teams that serve our main campus in Morgantown and our community hospitals across the state and region,” Wright said.
Friday’s announcement said the One Day Surgery Center next to St. Francis on Donnally Street will continue to offer outpatient surgery options.
The Thomas Health System recently became full members of WVU Medicine.
St. Francis served as an overflow hospital during the height of the pandemic.