FAIRMONT, W.Va. The Mon Health Marion Neighborhood Hospital is celebrating two years in Middletown Commons and ensuring quality health care options remain nearby.
The future of local quality health care options was in peril when California-based Alecto announced the closure of the Fairmont Regional Medical Center in February of 2020. Mon Health was one of the organizations to invest in plans to soften the blow of job losses and continue to serve the community.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Administrator Carla Hamner said the hospital and clinic have filled a definite need in the community and have been well received. In the last 12 months, the facility has seen 11,703 patients in the emergency room who would have had to seek another option if the investment was not made. The facility has also been hospital-acquired infection-free since its inception.
“They don’t have to come all the way to Morgantown to see those physicians, and we also have the Physician Clinic there located right across the interstate from us; we provide that too,” Hamner said.
The small-format hospital concept is able to bring full services to a central location for the community. The Mon Health Marion Neighborhood Hospital fits that need with the location and variety of services offered.
“They love the convenient location, they love the beautiful facility, they like our short wait times, and they like it being close to Middletown Commons where they can get other things done,” Hamner said.
Since moving into the community, Hamner said they have immersed themselves. In addition to quality care, they have become partners with many non-profit organizations, groups that promote the area, and popular community events.
“The Marion County Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Fairmont, has also sponsored some events at Palatine Park,” Hamner said. “We were able to help sponsor the White Hall Music Festival, which happened right at the Middletown Commons, so we could be a part of it.”
The staff jumped into action for a local organization, the Soup Opera, when a flood devastated their Thanksgiving supplies right before the holiday. Staff members reacted by collecting non-perishable foods to donate to the organization so they could serve the families in need.
“We’re not only there to serve them in their time of need but also to serve the community in everything that’s going on in supporting these events,” Hamner said. “We’re not just there for service; we are part of the community.”
The Mon Health Marion Neighborhood Hospital is part of the Mon Health System that has integrated into the Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) Health System and Davis Health System to form Vandalia Health.
“Being part of a larger system gives us plenty of opportunities to grow as well and provide care throughout the state of West Virginia, no matter where you’re located or where you may be visiting,” Hamner said.