Hygeia Facilities Foundation , Inc . -SWVHS Merger
In February 2022 , Hygeia Facilities Foundation , Inc . decided to close several locations in Southern West Virginia , including sites in Whitesville , Wharton and Sherman Jr . -Sr . High School in Boone County and Oceana in Wyoming County . Seeing the need for primary care facilities to remain open in these rural areas , Southern West Virginia Health System ( SWVHS ), led by CEO Lisa King Leach , decided to merge with Hygeia to make sure patient needs didn ’ t go unmet .
“ We understood the negative impact the closures of these facilities would have on the communities , so there was never a doubt that we would pursue merging Hygeia into our organization ,” King Leach says .
Visitors to the clinics will notice several upgrades , the majority being those on a cosmetic scale as each clinic went through a remodel . Other changes included implementing a scheduled appointment status and more support staff to recognize and resolve social and economic barriers to care .
King Leach says that after a brief adjustment period , staff at the clinics are encouraged by the smooth transition .
“ As you would expect , staff was nervous but cautiously optimistic about the change and have since become some of our greatest cheerleaders ,” she says .
King Leach also says the combined resources will enhance health care offerings in both Boone and Wyoming counties as well as the surrounding areas .
“ As we are a larger organization , we have the resources and synergism to provide training opportunities and support that were not available to their staff previously ,” she says . “ It has been great to watch the comradery develop between the employees . As we have a staff person who focuses on identifying and improving social drivers of health and community outreach , we can also assist patients with various social needs .”
“ We want to make sure the culture for staff is top notch , delivery of our care to patients is excellent and that we are good stewards of our financial position . We recognize the importance of growth to meet the needs of those in our service area ,” she says . “ We want our communities to be healthy — that is why we exist .”
In 2018 , the acquisition of Madison Medical marked a key step in strengthening service offerings . This was followed by the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility in Man , providing modern , comprehensive care to meet the needs of the local population . In 2019 , a full-time pulmonologist was added to the staff , enhancing specialized respiratory care .
SWVHS recently completed its threeyear strategic plan , which included the acquisition and transformation of three new clinics located in Oceana in Wyoming County and Whitesville and Wharton in Boone County . Pharmacies were added to two of these locations in recognition of transportation barriers in these rural communities . In 2023 , SWVHS built a new clinic in Guyan Valley to better serve rural populations .
“ This merger was critical to assure primary care access to those rural areas ,” King Leach says , adding that SWVHS is eager to look for more opportunities like these in the future .
Mentoring her team is important to King Leach , as she believes it helps
cultivate excitement and creativity within the organization .
“ The commitment to helping staff become better leaders is critical to any organization ’ s success ,” she says . “ We cannot lead if staff is not willing to follow . Instilling the desire to follow results in staff wanting to come to work , wanting to help the organization grow and wanting to be a part of a great team .”
King Leach says she has learned that the success of her company is based on the culture they have worked to create , which focuses on patient satisfaction , improved health outcomes , engaged staff and financial stability and is critical to the company ’ s future . •
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