WVU Health System, Fulton County Medical Center sign definitive agreement

MORGANTOWN, W.Va., and MCCONNELLSBURG, PA. – The West Virginia University Health System, which operates under the brand WVU Medicine, and Fulton County Medical Center (FCMC) have signed a definitive affiliation agreement that will lead to FCMC joining the WVU Health System. 

FCMC executed a non-binding letter of intent to join the WVU Health System in April. Since then, the WVU Health System has conducted extensive due diligence and worked collaboratively with FCMC to finalize the definitive affiliation agreement and develop long-term strategic plans for the facility and the services it provides. 

Under the definitive agreement, the WVU Health System has committed up to $17 million over the next seven years to modernize FCMC, including the installation of EPIC, which will provide seamless integration of the hospital’s electronic medical records and revenue cycle management with the Health System; growing clinical services; and expanding access to high-quality care across the community it serves.   

“The FCMC Board of Directors and Executive Team are excited to be one step closer to full affiliation with WVU Medicine,” Mike Makosky, president and CEO of Fulton County Medical Center, said. “We look forward to completing the final steps, so we may begin fully integrating the enhanced patient services WVU Medicine will bring to our local communities.” 

FCMC is a 21-bed critical access hospital located in McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, employing more than 415 employees. It includes an emergency department; cardiology; rehabilitation, laboratory, and diagnostic imaging services; home health; a community wellness center; and a 67-bed nursing home. It has served Fulton, Bedford, Blair, Franklin, and Huntingdon counties in Pennsylvania for more than 75 years. It is the only hospital and skilled nursing facility in Fulton County.   

“This partnership will allow patients across Fulton County and the surrounding region to continue to have access to high-quality healthcare close to home,” Congressman John Joyce, M.D., said.  

“By expanding services, modernizing facilities, and creating more opportunities for medical education and training, it will improve patient care and help build the healthcare workforce our communities need. At a time when underserved communities continue to face physician shortages, encouraging doctors to train close to home, and to practice where they train is more important than ever. Since coming to Congress, developing a stable pipeline of talented healthcare professionals has been a top priority, and I look forward to strong continuation of my Homegrown Health Care Initiative.” 

The WVU Health System is West Virginia’s largest health system and the state’s largest employer with more than 3,500 licensed beds, 4,600 providers, 39,000 employees, and $7 billion in total operating revenues. The Health System is comprised of 25 hospitals – including J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, an 880-bed academic medical center, and the 150-bed WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia – and five institutes. 

The closing of the transaction is anticipated to occur on or about Jan. 1, 2027, and is subject to regulatory approval and various closing conditions. It will happen shortly after the expected closing of the WVU Health System’s affiliation with the five hospitals of Greensburg-based Independence Health System.  

Collectively, these transactions will further expand the WVU Health System’s network of hospitals, outpatient facilities, and specialty services into rural Pennsylvania, extending expert care to underserved communities.   

“One of the anchors of WVU Medicine 2035 – our 10-year strategic plan – is to become the national leader in rural population management by transforming rural healthcare through innovative care models and applied academic medical center research. We believe in bringing the specialized care with which WVU Medicine has become synonymous to patients in rural and underserved areas, where they are surrounded by their support systems,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the WVU Health System, said.  

“By bringing Fulton County Medical Center into our Health System, we aim to deliver the same kind of world-class care to residents in Southcentral Pennsylvania.” 

For more information on Fulton County Medical Center, visit FCMCPA.org. For more information on WVU Medicine, visit WVUMedicine.org.