WVU Medicine Potomac Valley Hospital is pleased to announce the opening of it’s first School-Based Health Center (SBHC) in Mineral County. The clinic, located within Keyser Primary School, is sponsored and managed by Potomac Valley Hospital.
“I am both proud and excited to begin this new partnership between Potomac Valley Hospital and Mineral County Schools,” says Sue Wells, Senior Director of Clinical Operations. “The opening of this clinic is just the beginning of what we plan to offer to the students of Mineral County. Additional school-based health centers are planned to open in the future, including a clinic built into the new Frankfort Elementary school, scheduled to open in 2024.”
A range of services are offered to the children and teachers in the school community during the school day. These services include preventive care, such as wellness exams, sports physicals, early / periodic screening diagnostic and treatment well checks, and health education. Immediate care services will also be available, such as sick visits, focusing on diagnosis and treatment of acute illness. Referrals to other health care providers will be given as needed.
“Being able to provide these additional healthcare services to students and teachers of Mineral County is a great way to provide better access to healthcare services and also to improve health outcomes in our community,” says Mark Boucot, president and CEO of Potomac Valley Hospital. “These clinics are a good example of how PVH can provide quality healthcare services, in the schools and make it more convenient for parents.”
Services in the clinic will be provided by nurse practitioners, Marie Del Signore, NP and Caitlin Nelson, CPNP from Potomac Valley Hospital. Both Del Signore and Nelson have established practices in the Mineral County community and are dedicated to furthering the continuity of care available to residents.
“We appreciate the willingness of Potomac Valley Hospital to work with us on this new endeavor,” says Troy Ravenscroft, Superintendent of Mineral County Schools. “We’re proud of this partnership and excited to provide a school-based health center for our students. We’re very fortunate in our community to have agencies working together to provide the best resources for our children.”
School-based health centers have been present in West Virginia for the last eighteen years. In that time, they have been proven to provide easily accessible, and cost-effective care to school-age children.
Potomac Valley Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital in Keyser, West Virginia. The hospital serves the community of Mineral County, West Virginia and surrounding areas. PVH officially became a member of the West Virginia University Health System in 2014. PVH provides inpatient and outpatient care, including 24/7 Emergency Department services. PVH employs more than 250 healthcare professionals, including over 50 physicians, who are dedicated to our mission of striving to treat every patient like a member of our own family.