Braxton County Memorial Hospital becomes full member of West Virginia University Health System

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Braxton County Memorial Hospital (BCMH) in Gassaway officially joined the West Virginia University Health System on Jan. 1.

In August, BCMH signed a letter of intent to join the WVU Health System and a Certificate of Need (CON) application was filed with the West Virginia Health Care Authority. The CON was approved in November. Karen Bowling, vice president of care delivery transformation for the WVU Health System, has been named the interim CEO of BCMH. She also currently serves as the interim CEO of Summersville Regional Medical Center.

“Braxton County is in the heart of West Virginia, and West Virginians from all across the state are at the heart of what we do. While we hope that people never need our services, we want the people of Braxton County and the surrounding region to know that we’re here for them,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the WVU Health System, said. “We are proud to officially welcome Braxton County Memorial Hospital into the WVU Medicine family.”

BCMH, a 25-bed critical access hospital, was established in 1981 and serves Braxton County and parts of Clay, Gilmer, Lewis, Nicholas, and Webster counties. The hospital employs almost 200 people and offers emergency care, inpatient acute care, skilled nursing, respite care, inpatient and outpatient surgery, and home health care. Its outpatient facility includes laboratory, imaging, and cardio-pulmonary services. 

“This is an exciting time for Braxton County Memorial Hospital. A lot of hard work has taken place, but the reward is here now – to be part of the WVU Health System,” Barbara Adams, chair of the BCMH Board of Directors, said. “Becoming part of the WVU Medicine family allows us to continue our mission, offering the best possible care to our patients and community.”

A community celebration is being planned for March. More information will be released at a later date.

The West Virginia University Health System, the state’s largest health system and largest private employer, is comprised of nine hospitals – its flagship hospital, J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown; Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg; Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg; Jefferson Medical Center in Ranson; Potomac Valley Hospital in Keyser; Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale; St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon; United Hospital Center in Bridgeport; and BCMH. It also provides management services to Jackson General Hospital in Ripley; Summersville Regional Medical Center in Summersville; Wetzel County Hospital in New Martinsville; and Garrett Regional Medical Center in Oakland, Maryland. The WVU Health System also includes five institutes – the WVU Cancer Institute, the WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute, the WVU Eye Institute, the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, and the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.

For more information, visit WVUMedicine.org.