SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — One year after establishing a clinical affiliation agreement, WVU Medicine is commemorating Thomas Hospitals on becoming a full member of the state’s largest health system.
A celebratory event was held at Thomas Hospitals in South Charleston Monday morning recognizing the new partnership, which also kicks off National Hospitals Week and National Nurses Week.
President and CEO of Thomas Hospitals, Dr. Greg Rosencrance said he’s excited to see all of the new opportunities to come.
“It’s an exciting time to celebrate the first year of the partnership, and it’s an exciting time to look forward to the future in large part because of the partnership,” said Rosencrance.
WVU Medicine Health System President and CEO, Albert Wright said the goal over the last decade has been on establishing a systematic path of comprehensive healthcare to a network of hospitals across the state.
“We’re trying to create a population health footprint of care points and hospitals across the state that really go from Wheeling in the North and Princeton in the South, Parkersburg West, Martinsburg up East and everywhere in between,” Wright said.
Wright adds South Charleston’s facility will be filling a gap in another major region of the state.
“If you’re going to have a statewide network in the state of West Virginia, you have to have great healthcare in Charleston, so Thomas is going to become our Southern regional hub for the state of West Virginia,” added Wright.
He said significant growth is what’s in store for Thomas Hospital, predicting it will go from its current 200-beds to a 300 and even 400-bed facility in the next 5 to 10 years.
Wright added that the expansion process has already begun at the hospital with the ongoing establishment of some of WVU Medicine’s highest level of medical and surgical services, including neural surgery, advanced heart surgery, and complex medical care. He said anything that can be done in Morgantown will soon be the reality in Charleston.
Rosencrance could also confirm the hospital’s already current path of growth, stating they have seen an increase in the recruitment and retention of medical staff.
The hospital has recruited a total of 40 physicians and advanced practice professionals over the course of one year, which Rosencrance said is all due in part to the onset of WVU Medicine’s strengthening of the facility and the good sense of community it has formed.
“I think it’s a confidence of the leadership of the WVU Health System, I think it’s a confidence in a proven track-record of the system as they have acquired hospitals and hospitals have elected to join the system, it’s how they feel treated, it’s the support, it’s the financial wherewithal that’s provided,” said Rosencrance.
Along with the many new services coming to Thomas Hospital in conjunction with WVU Medicine’s partnership, the state’s first comprehensive orthopedic hospital will be built on St. Francis Hospital’s campus.