$22M Renovation, Expansion of Surgical Department Underway at WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital
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GLEN DALE - Since WVU Medicine took over Reynolds Memorial Hospital about six years ago, millions of dollars have been spent renovating and upgrading the facility's departments.
Work has already been completed on the labor and delivery department, behavioral health and a new helipad for medical helicopters to use was installed outside this past fall.
By the time renovation and expansion of the surgical department is complete, the hospital will have experienced about $50 million in new investment during the past six years.
The work on the operating rooms alone is estimated to cost $22 million. In addition to renovating and expanding the surgical suites, two new surgical procedure rooms are being added. A newly renovated central sterile center, which is used to sterilize surgical instruments, was also expanded last year.
A new drop-off entrance and exit just for the surgery center is being created to make coming to Reynolds for surgery an easier and more pleasant experience.
"It will be really nice for patients because you will have a separate entrance and a dedicated registration booth," said Tony Martinelli, chief operating officer of WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital. "And then after your surgery when you get discharged you will be able to pull up and have a covered exit right there for when you go home."
Regarding the operating spaces, Martinelli said in addition to new walls and flooring, there will also be a new HVAC system and new medical gas system.
"There will be a totally updated pre-op and post-op," he added. "Those are going to be in a long corridor because in the mornings you need more pre-op and in the afternoons you need more (post-anesthesia care).
"So rather than having two separate spaces it will all be the same space so you can be more efficient with staff and have a better patient experience. ... It will be a much smoother flow."
Martinelli said if a similar renovation occurred at Reynolds it likely happened decades ago. He said the renovation was made possible thanks to funding from the Spurr Trust and the Reynolds Memorial Foundation
"Without that this wouldn't have been a possibility," he said.
He also thanked the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia for its continued partnership with the hospital.
"Their bishops have been incredible working with us," Martinelli said, referring to the Right Rev. Matthew Cowden and his predecessor the Right Rev. Mike Klusmeyer.
He also thanked the hospital's 753 employees, noting that they are what makes the facility a great place to receive care.
"The staff here do an amazing job," he said.
Martinelli said the surgical department work is being done in phases to allow surgeries to continue. The project is expected to be finished in about nine months.
"This is going to be wonderful for the community - state of the art operating rooms," he said. "In a 90-bed community hospital, this kind of investment just doesn't happen across the country in a hospital this size."
Martinelli noted he has received good feedback from the community, patrons and former employees of the facility who are excited about the upgrades.