Published: July 06, 2009 11:36 pm      

Romney facility to offer Wellness Center

Groundbreaking held for new Hampshire Memorial Hospital

ROMNEY, W.Va. — Monday marked the beginning of construction of the new Hampshire Memorial Hospital, which is expected to bring top-of-the-line health care and jobs to the area.

“I congratulate everyone involved and your commitment to provide the residents of Romney and the surrounding area with the healthcare they deserve,” Mary Jo Brown, regional representative from the Governor’s Office read in a letter from Gov. Joe Manchin.

Residents, officials and staff from the current hospital attended the groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning for the new $35 million hospital. At 65,000 square-feet, the new facility will be nearly double the size of the existing facility.

With construction now set to begin on Sunset Boulevard, the planned completion date for the 44-bed facility is anticipated in spring of 2010. The new hospital will replace the original hospital on Center Avenue, constructed in 1958.

The hospital is currently part of the Valley Health system that serves the Northern Shenandoah Valley regions of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.

“The services rendered here will meet the needs of the community now and for the next 50 years,” said Mark H. Merrill, president and CEO of Valley Health, which operates the hospital. “What doesn’t change is the needs of the citizens for quality health care.”

Merrill acknowledged the board of directors, the county commissioners and all of the various groups that helped the project to come to fruition.

He said Valley Health’s focus in the area was not simply treating the sick, but to offer a new Wellness Center focused on improving the health of residents before they ever become ill.

The growth that this hospital marks is vital for the area, U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito said, as it will provide a higher quality of life for the citizens of Hampshire County.

This same sentiment was echoed by many at the groundbreaking, including Robbie McCauley, president of the hospital, who said she was honored that she was being given the opportunity to serve as president of the hospital, particularly throughout this process of bringing the new facility to the area.

Delegate Ruth Rowan said the existing hospital was constructed through the community pulling together for the sake of providing health care to their citizens. Now, the new location will provide services that residents had to drive to Cumberland or Winchester to receive.

“This proves that if you stick to it, you can make any dream a reality,” Rowan said.

Contact Sarah Moses at smoses@times-news.com.