Story by Sophia Wassick
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — WVU Hospitals has officially announced their purchase of the current Monongalia County Health Department and WIC buildings.
On Wednesday, the Monongalia County Commission accepted WVU Hospitals’ bid, which was valued at $6 million.
“We’re just really excited for this opportunity to acquire this piece of property that’s on our campus, essentially, and it’s going to help us in the future significantly,” Nathan Burt, chief operating officer of WVU Hospitals, said.
WVU Hospitals intends to expand their healthcare services with the aid of these buildings. Although there is not an exact plan of what the buildings will be used for quite yet, it is apparent that their use will offer necessary healthcare services and benefit those within the community.
“We’re constantly developing what we call our campus master plan, that helps us plan into the future what our expansions will be, and this will be a key piece of that, as we continue to move forward and plan what services we’re going to expand,” Burt said.
Additionally, directly behind United Bank, which is next to the Monongalia County Health Department and WIC buildings, WVU Hospitals is adding an eye institute to further their expansion plan.
“We’re building a new eye institute on the corner of Van Voorhis and Elmer Prince Drive, and the WIC Office and Monongalia County Health Department are located behind that building, so it’s very convenient to our existing hospital sites,” Burt stated.
To conclude their current expansions, WVU Hospitals is in the midst of expanding their cancer services and other signature service lines.