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<\/a>GREENSBURG, Pa. \u2014<\/p>\nThursday marked the first official day of WVU Medicine operating five western Pennsylvania hospitals.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday is kind of crossing the finish line of this entire process and being excited about what\u2019s ahead,\u201d WVU Health System President and CEO Albert Wright said. \u201cIt\u2019s a celebration of what\u2019s going to be, I’m confident, a very successful relationship and partnership moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
In November, the Morgantown-based health system announced it would be taking over and investing $800 million into Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland hospitals.<\/p>\n
For the past 10 months, executives have been planning how that money will grow its newest facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had thought this out pretty well before the announcement last November,\u201d Wright said. \u201cI think we\u2019ll see more clinical jobs because we\u2019re adding more clinical opportunities. We\u2019re going to hire more doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists and caregivers. Some of the hospitals will become trauma centers. We\u2019re going to start by introducing some of our pediatric programs. I don\u2019t think anything will change immediately. In time, they\u2019ll see more caregivers and more electronic connectivity.\u201d <\/p>\n
In the three Westmoreland County hospitals, those investments have staff anxious to see how it improves conditions for patients. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur talented clinicians and all employees across the board are going to be retained,\u201d said Brian Fritz, president of Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland hospitals. \u201cWe\u2019re going to grow those positions. We\u2019re expanding our number of patient beds, our procedural area footprint and clinic space.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cPeople have been not only calm and anxious about it, but they\u2019re looking forward to it,\u201d said Dr. Mary Elizabeth Kovacik Eicher, chief medical officer for Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland hospitals. \u201cWVU has such a great reputation for not only making a commitment to local communities, but to the staff, physicians, nurses, and everyone who works here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of the reason staff is being retained is that there\u2019s a need for role models for the new student pipeline. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe will try to rotate students through these hospitals,\u201d Wright said. \u201cSome of our hospitals in Pennsylvania already have residency programs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen those folks come here while they\u2019re training, and come to see our beautiful hospital and communities, they will stay and help enhance our programs,\u201d Fritz said. \u201cThis enables us to not just maintain the services we have but enables us to grow. It makes sure we can partner with a world-class organization.\u201d<\/p>\n
This Mountaineer connection brings more than just new signs on the buildings. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat gives us access to state-of-the-art research and the cutting-edge work that\u2019s being done out there in healthcare,\u201d Kovacik Eicher said. \u201cIt also allows us to give our patients access to things we maybe didn’t have the opportunity to do in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
While this is the third name change in four years for these hospitals, those helping people inside them believe this partnership is here to stay. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe know now that these three hospitals in Westmoreland County aren\u2019t going anywhere. They\u2019re here to stay,\u201d Kovacik Eicher said. <\/p>\n
In 2014, WVU Medicine owned five hospitals. With this acquisition being finalized on Thursday, the health system is now up to 30.<\/p>\n