By Michele Gillis

Children are our greatest assets and WVU Medicine is bringing a medical center specifically for children to the Ohio Valley. The WVU Medicine Children’s Northern Region Outpatient Center will be a one-stop-shop for pediatric care.

“The center will provide well and sick entrances, pediatric lab and imaging, specialty offices and extended after-hours,” said Jessica Rine, associate vice president of foundation & community relations, WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital. “We are a nonprofit hospital. That means that any money the hospital makes, we invest in new equipment and new doctors to meet the needs of our patient population.” Rine says that any auxiliary projects the hospital does for the community, like creating a medical center just for kids, the hospital foundation asks the community to help support.

The outpatient center will be located in the old continuous care center located across the parking lot from Wheeling Hospital’s main campus.

To fund the project they need to find donors to partner with and Rine said there are a lot of naming right opportunities in the project.

“With the community’s support, we will bring hope and healing to children,” said Rine. “This facility will provide separate space for sick visits and well visits, as well as an after-hours clinic where parents will find comfort in having their ill or injured children seen by the region’s best pediatricians. This new center will also be a space for WVU Medicine Children’s to provide advanced specialty care for the more vulnerable population, so children and parents can remain close to home.”

To complete the build-out, they need approximately $10 million. To start, they are trying to raise half of that money from the community. The campaign will continue once the building starts. So far, they have raised $3 million. They hope to start construction in 2025 and are still actively searching for donors.

Their donor request letter said that WVU Medicine Children’s, Wheeling Hospital and Reynolds Memorial Hospital counts on their generous community to turn challenges into incredible opportunities to transform health in the Ohio Valley. By giving today, donors provide the support they need to build a healthier future for children.

Highlights of what will be in the facility include:

Pediatric Imaging & Lab

While imaging is a noninvasive evaluation of a wide range of possible diseases, most scans are done on adult-sized equipment by adult-centered doctors. It can be overwhelming for kids and their caretakers.

“We are excited to provide an imaging space just for kids to lessen the stress and anxiety surrounding this routine and important diagnostic process,” said Rine.

Unfortunately many lab orders go unfilled, making the convenience of a lab in the pediatric outpatient center vital for all-around diagnostic care.

“Most lab work requires needles which isn’t a pleasant experience for kiddos, especially in a room made for adults,” said Rine. “Having a kid-themed, child-size set up and design is a huge asset for families.”

Dedicated Street Level Parking

Parents will be overjoyed to have a parking lot away from the busy main hospital campus. Street-level parking is a dream come true for every parent who has had to navigate hospital hallways and elevators with a stroller.

Austin’s Playroom

The Mario Lemieux Foundation awarded this project an “Austin’s Playroom” which will be an exciting feature for kids at the center. The playroom in the well-vis-it waiting room will give kids something to look forward to when they come to the new children’s center. If kids can look forward to coming to the doctor as a child, hopefully they will be more comfortable seeking health care into their adult lives.

After-Hours Clinic

“Injuries and illness happen outside of standard business hours, so we are happy to have pediatricians available to see patients after-hours (until 8 p.m.),” said Rine. “While our Urgent Care and Rapid Care facilities are available to see children, pediatricians that specialize in treating kiddos add a layer of accuracy and comfort to children in a kid-friendly space.”

This after-hours feature also allows for parents to schedule visits outside of normal business hours. Keeping parents at work and kids in school removes a barrier that some families have when it comes to annual appointments or non-urgent doctor’s visits.

Specialty Offices

Travel is a barrier for children to receive specialty care.

Equipped with four specialty offices, this pediatric center will host WVU Medicine Children’s specialists from Morgantown. This will provide dedicated space to host pediatric specialists who focus on the needs the youth are facing in the Ohio Valley.

“For example, childhood obesity rates and behavior health issues are high in the Ohio Valley. We can use the specialty offices to house a pediatric nutritionist and behavioral health specialist. Then if a family comes to their pediatrician with those types of concerns, they can have a consultation on site.” said Rine. “So those are some of the ideas we’re discussing, how we can fix some of the key issues within our youth in this area. Mental health is a big problem everywhere, but West Virginia is pretty bad on those statistics. If a child comes in and they’re identified with possible behavioral health issues, they could be connected to one of our behavioral health professionals.”

The Medical Park Foundation’s mission is to locate financial support through community focused companies, organizations and individuals, to support the health care projects at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital.

The WVU foundation website states, “Your support will help us continue to grow services and programs throughout the hospital. We value relationship building within our community partners, staff, patients and their families. Together, we will identify and eliminate barriers to care in our community.”

If you would like to discuss a partnership, please contact Jessica Rine ( jessica.rine@wvumedicine.org). For more information on the proposed center visit wvu-medicine.org/wheeling/medical-park-foundation/

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