The WVU Healthcare Outpatient Center will be housed in a three-story, 109,000-square-foot building that will include 127 exam rooms. Hospital officials hope that by the time construction is finished in 2016 on the $52 million project, the proposed new interchange off of Interstate 79 will be finished.
“The Healthcare Reform Act will likely increase the demands for clinic visits, and the current outpatient capacity at the Physician Office Center is insufficient to support any substantial growth,” Bruce McClymonds, president and CEO of WVU Hospitals, said. “This new facility will meet both of those needs and allow us to better serve our patients long into the future. It’s a win-win situation for us and our patients.”
In 2012, WVU Hospitals’ outpatient clinics in Morgantown received 433,579 visits. By 2016, that number is expected to increase to 536,909 with 25 percent of those visits occurring at the new location.
In addition, the space currently occupied by the Sleeth Family Medicine Center will be needed for the future expansion of WVU Health Sciences educational programs.
The new WVU Healthcare Outpatient Center is expected to house up to 10 clinics, including: Family Medicine; Behavioral Medicine; Neurology; Cardiology; Internal Medicine/Medicine Specialties; Obstetrics and Gynecology; and Pediatrics. The building and site plans have been designed with consideration for future expansions.
The new center, along with the tower expansion of Ruby Memorial Hospital, is expected to create about 800 new jobs.
“Approximately 70 percent of our outpatients come from outside Monongalia County,” McClymonds said. “By moving some of our clinics closer to the interstate, we can provide more convenient access and parking for our clinic patients and decongest our campus.”
The project will be subject to Certificate of Need approval by the West Virginia Health Care Authority. It will be financed by WVU Hospitals, Inc., a member of the West Virginia United Health System. No state funds will be sought and no extraordinary rate increase is anticipated as a result of the construction.