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Officials of WVU Medicine brought its senior leadership retreat to Oglebay Park this week to demonstrate the health care system's commitment to the Upper Ohio Valley.
WVU Medicine conducts a spring retreat for senior leaders at different locations. The two-day event was held in the Northern Panhandle for the first time.
Albert Wright, president and CEO of WVU Medicine, said, "The retreat gets bigger every year. It is for senior leadership teams from all 10 of our hospitals."
About 80 representatives of WVU Medicine-related facilities throughout West Virginia attended the conference Thursday and Friday.
Dr. David Hess, CEO of WVU Medicine-Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale, said holding the event at Oglebay shows "WVU Medicine's commitment to invest resources into the Ohio Valley."
Hess added, "And as the state's No. 1 private employer, they want to make sure they have a presence in the Ohio Valley and can offer these high-level services, including cancer and heart-vascular, to the entire state, including the Ohio Valley."
Wright said WVU Medicine "is really starting to grow in the Northern Panhandle." That growth includes the acquisition of Reynolds Memorial Hospital in 2016, a clinical affiliation with Wetzel County Hospital in New Martinsville that began in 2016 and the addition of physicians and specialized medical services in the region. Last year, the WVU Cancer Institute established a center on the Reynolds campus and the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute opened an office at The Highlands in Triadelphia.
"We thought we'd come up here (to Oglebay) this year, and people seem to be enjoying themselves," Wright said.
Hess said the annual retreat is designed to "motivate, energize and inspire our leadership. We're making sure they're all working toward the same goals."
Wright said, "The leadership sets the tone for the organization. As the largest health care provider in West Virginia, it's important to be successful and continue to be successful as we take care of the health and wellness of West Virginia."
A leadership consultant and executive coach spoke to the group.
In addition, Hess said, "A national consultant talked to use about health care reform and changes in the health care system."
Wright said leaders from WVU Medicine's signature programs also spoke to their colleagues. The speakers were Dr. Alison Wilson, director of the WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute; Dr. J. Philip Saul, executive vice president of WVU Medicine Children's; Dr. Ali Rezai, executive chair of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute; Dr. Vinay Badhwar, executive chair of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, and Dr. Richard Goldberg, director of the WVU Cancer Institute.
Regarding Reynolds' position as a member of WVU Medicine, Hess said, "We're very excited about the continued growth."
A new urologist and an ear, nose and throat specialist have been hired and will start work at Reynolds in July, Hess said. The WVU Cancer Center, which continues to grow, soon will be starting clinical trials at the Glen Dale site, he added.