WEIRTON -- In an effort to better meet the needs of the community's medical care, Weirton Medical Center has announced plans for a $9 million expansion to its emergency department.
"With recent economic development activity in the area such as Form Energy, it is crucial we have an emergency department that meets the needs of the community," said WMC President and Chief Executive Officer John Frankovitch. "We have begun the process of working with Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito to apply for funding for the final stage of the project through a federal HRSA grant. We were able to fund the first phases internally, but federal support will enable us to complete the final stage of the project to meet the increase in community demand. Our mission is always to provide the exceptional, compassionate healthcare services our community has come to expect from the entire WMC family."
Hospital officials note when Weirton Medical was opened in 1978, it had an anticipated yearly volume of emergency room visits of 24,000. Today, the hospital receives upward of 40,000 emergency visits each year.
WMC is the only Level IV trauma designated emergency provider in the area, and the only emergency facility in Hancock and Brooke counties.
Changes in local demographics also have had an impact.
"A third of all our emergency department patients at WMC are classified as either Medicaid, charity care or self-pay, often with limited access to transportation and primary care," explained Joi Gorlock, chief nursing officer. "This limited access causes many Medicaid families to use the emergency services for all their medical care needs."
The expansion will necessitate the relocation of other operational areas of the hospital. Weirton Medical's laboratory already has been moved, and the hospital is in the process of building a new gastroenterology center.
"When we are completed, this project will allow WMC to offer the community state-of-the-art laboratory and gastroenterology services with an upgraded, expanded and renovated emergency department," said David Artman, WMC chief operations officer.
Funding for the $9 million project has come through a variety of sources, including a $6.4 million bond issued by Weirton Medical Center in 2022.