×
X logo

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox.

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)

You may opt-out anytime by clicking "unsubscribe" from the newsletter or from your account.

Hospital News Is Promising

In many ways, local residents are more fortunate than we sometimes recognize. For one thing, we are very well served by health care options. Visitors from out of town sometimes express surprise that Wheeling is home to two major hospitals.

It has been no secret that one hospital entity, Ohio Valley Health Services and Education Corp., has been struggling financially for several years. OVHSEC operates Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling and East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry.

That struggle may have come to an end. On Friday, it was announced that Alecto Healthcare Services, a California company, has agreed to purchase the two hospitals and related entities.

A certain amount of apprehension, especially among employees involved in acquisitions, is normal in such situations. It may be unfounded this time.

Alecto officials have said there will be no loss of jobs at the two local hospitals. They pledged to provide the same level of services and care now available. And the sales agreement calls for Alecto to make a “significant reinvestment” to improve the quality of care.

What more could local residents ask?

The future of OVMC and EORH remains uncertain, of course, because of the same factors that have influenced health care institutions everywhere. Several in our area have had to enter into agreements with other, larger entities in order to continue serving their communities.

OVHSEC and its non-profit predecessors have been providing quality health care in our area for more than a century. The institution has more than 1,600 employees. Those two factors placed a heavy burden on OVHSEC officials in their effort to find a way to ensure the two hospitals and related facilities could continue serving our communities.

That search has been one of years, not just months. Potential agreements with 30 other health care entities were evaluated before the decision was made to go with Alecto.

Alecto already has a link to West Virginia. In 2014, the company purchased Fairmont General Hospital. Now under the banner of Fairmont Regional Medical Center, that facility seems to be doing well.

Precisely how the health care industry serving our area will change as a result of the OVHSEC announcement remains to be seen. At first glance, however, the future seems bright. That is a tribute to OVHSEC officials — and to the thousands of men and women who, for many years, have worked through the non-profit to care for residents of our area.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today