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Improving Lives in West Virginia and Beyond
The integration of Reynolds Memorial Hospital ( RMH ) into the WVU Medicine health system has been one of growth , with a laser focus on the patient experience . The WVU Medicine brand stands for exceptional quality and world-class patient care , which has created an expectation for the staff to improve the patient experience . And that is exactly what is happening with the health care climate in the Northern Panhandle , with WVU Medicine RMH leading the charge .
David Hess , M . D ., president and CEO of RMH , has been at the helm since RMH ’ s marriage to WVU Medicine . Hess is proud of the incredible growth that has been accomplished in the five years that RMH has been in the WVU Medicine family .
“ We were once a small community hospital with limited services , and now are a thriving , busy community hospital in a phenomenal academic medical system ,” says Hess . “ Since joining WVU Medicine , we have nearly doubled in size , which has not been easy , and our staff has truly taken on the challenge with enthusiasm and commitment . We started this process in the pre-hiring portion of recruitment and only interviewed people who we felt would personify what we were trying to accomplish : world-class quality care and patient experience .”
The growth has been extensive and aggressive .
Less than two years ago the Ohio Valley region was facing a health care crisis after the closure of two area hospitals . At the forefront of concern was the closure of the behavioral health facilities . WVU Medicine heard the residents loud and clear , and the administration and staff at RMH worked tirelessly to meet health care needs .
“ WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital , with the support of Governor Jim Justice , quickly stepped up to start the process of opening an inpatient facility to serve the acutely mentally ill , dual diagnosis and involuntary patients who needed a safe place to seek treatment without having to travel hours away ,” says Debbie Clark , manager of RMH Behavioral Health Services . “ In July 2020 our inpatient behavioral health unit opened , employing many of the staff from the closed facilities , staff familiar to the patients concerned about their continuation of care . We were all eager to continue to serve our population here in the Ohio Valley .”
As the fifth floor of the hospital was being completely remodeled and transformed into a state-of-the-art , ligature resistant unit built with strict safety specifications and three handicap accessible rooms , construction was also underway in the emergency department — a $ 4 million project that would also have a tremendous impact on the community .
“ We increased our patient rooms from 12 beds to 20 beds ,” says Brittany Decrease , RN , emergency services manager . “ We built an entire addition on to the emergency room ( ER ) that included 10 new rooms .