BUCKHANNON, W.Va. –A major health care investment is coming to Upshur County.
Tuesday, officials with Community Care of West Virginia Inc. and local leaders broke ground on a new 40,000-square-foot Integrated Health & Education Center in Buckhannon.
Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner discussed the new facility Wednesday on MetroNews Midday.
He said the project is an exciting development for both Community Care and the city.
“We’re so excited to break ground on this new facility downtown, that’s further going to advance the care offerings that they’re going to be able to provide to the citizens of Buckhannon and surrounding area,” Skinner said.
He said the project has been a long time coming, noting that Community Care began in Rock Cave as the TriCounty Clinic before expanding into a larger health care organization serving multiple communities.
Community Care has grown into the largest federally qualified health center in West Virginia, Skinner said. Federally qualified health centers are community-based health care organizations that provide comprehensive primary care services to underserved populations regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Community Care currently operates in seven counties: Braxton, Clay, Harrison, Lewis, Pocahontas, Randolph and Upshur.
Skinner said the health care organization offers a wide range of services to the community.
“They’re in everything from primary care to all the way now to advancing into rehabilitation to support the addicted community, as well as big time into the mental health game,”
The building will feature an expanded pharmacy with a drive-through, state-of-the-art clinical space, pediatrics, an outpatient laboratory, a gym and a dedicated floor for education and workforce development.
Skinner said about 185 Upshur County residents currently work for Community Care.
Skinner said the new facility could increase that number to more than 200 once it is completed.
“We already have folks that work with Community Cares that are working in the mental health and addiction recovery spaces, this is just expanding those areas in particular with this new building,” he said.
Skinner said Community Care could have built the facility anywhere in West Virginia, but he believes the organization chose Buckhannon because the city is business friendly.
“We have exemptions on B&O tax that not a lot of city’s have, we have streamlined our permitting process that not every city has, and so when we say we want to be the most business friendly and most attractive place to start a business in the state we mean it,” he said.
Skinner said Buckhannon prides itself on strong partnerships with organizations including Community Care, West Virginia Wesleyan College, St. Joseph’s Hospital, the city, Upshur County, the Development Authority and the Chamber of Commerce.
He said they all share the goal of improving the community’s health, economy and appearance.
Skinner said that makes Community Care an integral partner in the region.
“There are strategic partners with Wesleyan right now, they basically have put together one of the states most premier master’s program for behavior health and mental health, it’s a new program at the college and Community Care is partner for that with them,” he said.
The new four-story facility will be located at 25 N. Kanawha St.
Skinner said he hopes the new facility will have a significant economic impact on downtown Buckhannon.
“Just the entire downtown region is going to see an increase in traffic which hopefully turns into more sales for everyone with just more expansion from people like Community Care,” he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in August.