WVU Medicine’s belief that the Ohio Valley is worth investing in was reinforced earlier this week with the announcement of multi-million-dollar projects approved for the region.

The health system announced that it will build a new community hospital in St. Clairsville, as well as a new cancer center at WVU Medicine Weirton Medical Center. The two projects will total $76.1 million — $56 million for the St. Clairsville hospital and $20.1 million for the Weirton cancer center — as part of $350 million in investments approved by the board. The board has approved projects over the past three years that have totaled more than $1 billion.

“This continues our momentum of expanding access across the region to improve the health trajectory of the communities we serve, while also giving local economies a needed boost, as these projects will create new jobs and economic opportunities for thousands,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the WVU Health System, said. “Our growth and expansion are always mission-based and intentional and always intended to provide better service and access to those we serve.”

WVU Medicine’s presence in the Ohio Valley already is extensive, with hospitals in Wheeling, Weirton, Glen Dale, Barnesville, Cadiz and New Martinsville. A major addition in Wheeling already is underway with the construction of the WVU Cancer Institute St. Joseph Regional Cancer Complex. In adding a new hospital in Belmont County and a new cancer center in Weirton, the organization is doubling down on its notion that this region is a cornerstone of its plans to provide quality care in West Virginia and beyond.

Among the key tenets for WVU Medicine is that people should not have to leave their communities in order to receive the healthcare they deserve. These new projects prove that the health system means what it says. WVU Medicine is here for the Ohio Valley, and these projects prove it.