When WVU Medicine assumed leadership of Wheeling Hospital in 2019, the headlines weren’t flattering. The state’s oldest hospital — a 170-year pillar of the Northern Panhandle — was under federal investigation, financially unstable, and struggling to retain its workforce. Quality scores had slipped, critical investments had stalled, and morale across the campus reflected the uncertainty of its future.

At the same time, the Northern Panhandle, and Ohio Valley at large, was reeling from the uncertainty left in the wake of both Ohio Valley Medical Center and East Ohio Regional Hospital — a moment that left tens of thousands without local options for care. It would have been easy to write the story off as another chapter in West Virginia’s long list of rural healthcare challenges. But the Mountaineer spirit runs deeper than that. And for Wheeling Hospital, that spirit — paired with the vision and resources of WVU Medicine — became the catalyst for one of the most dramatic hospital turnarounds in modern West Virginia history.

A Comeback Rooted in Accountability and Action

When WVU Medicine stepped in, it didn’t just offer financial stability — it demanded a new culture of accountability, transparency, and teamwork. Every department was evaluated. Every process was re-examined.

Overnight, a hospital once fighting for survival began fighting for excellence. The results have been undeniable.

Since being fully incorporated into WVU Medicine in 2022, quality and safety scores that once lagged have climbed well above national benchmarks. Nursing recruitment and retention have stabilized through targeted incentives, career development programs, and local partnerships with nursing schools. Major investments in technology and infrastructure — once financially out of reach — are now driving modernization across the hospital’s operating rooms, imaging departments, and patient care areas.

Today, Wheeling Hospital employs approximately 2,500 team members, making WVU Medicine the largest employer in Ohio County and the largest in the state. Wheeling Hospital contributes more than $230 million annually to employee wages and benefits, accounting for 12.7% of all wages in Ohio County — a true cornerstone of the local economy.

After years of operating losses, Wheeling Hospital has returned to positive margins, creating new capacity to reinvest directly into its people, programs, and community. This turnaround has allowed Wheeling to see nearly $500 million in total annual expenditures (wages, benefits, community programs and education, and local vendor partnerships), making the hospital now responsible for 9.7% of Ohio County’s gross domestic product.

Bed capacity has grown from 223 to 255 to meet rising demand, and long-deferred infrastructure projects are once again moving forward, but this transformation didn’t happen in some boardroom far away. It happened on the hospital floors, in the operating suites, and at the bedside — where West Virginians showed up every day, put in the work, and earned back their community’s trust one patient at a time.

Proof That Progress Is Possible

Wheeling’s turnaround is more than a comeback story — it’s a case study in what happens when a world-class academic health system invests in the people and places that define our state.

– Cancer Care: Once dependent on outside referrals, the hospital now delivers advanced therapies and clinical trials through the WVU Cancer Institute — meaning more West Virginians can access life-saving treatment close to home.

– Cardiology and Orthopedics: Teams across these service lines have become regional leaders, leveraging WVU Medicine’s technology, training, and physician network to elevate outcomes and expand access.

– Continuous Care: The hospital’s rehabilitation and care programs now serve as models for integrated recovery and nationally recognized short-term care.

– Nursing Excellence: Through new residency programs, mentorship models, and education pipelines, Wheeling is helping redefine what it means to build a sustainable healthcare workforce in West Virginia.

These efforts have earned Wheeling Hospital numerous honors, including back-to-back High Performing designations at their Continuous Care Center from US News and World Report, recognition from Leapfrog for improvements patient safety and quality of outcome, and numerous American Heart Association Gold Standard designations for Stroke and Heart Attack standard of care — visible proof that quality and compassion can thrive in even the most challenging landscapes.

The future looks bright, with major projects underway including the WVU Cancer Institute St. Joseph Regional Cancer Complex, WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Robert Sonneborn Family Pediatric Outpatient Center, and the WVU Medicine Southpointe clinic. Wheeling is also pursuing designation as a Center of Excellence in Orthopedic Care, continuing to position the Northern Panhandle as a destination for advanced medicine and surgical excellence.

Each of these milestones represents more than operational success — they represent renewed belief in what healthcare in this state can be.

A Reflection of West Virginia’s Spirit

The story of Wheeling Hospital is, at its core, the story of West Virginia itself. It’s about rolling up your sleeves when the odds are stacked against you. It’s about doing the hard work with humility and purpose. It’s about believing that something better is possible — not because it’s easy, but because it’s worth it.

That’s the same mindset WVU Medicine brings to every corner of the state: from Morgantown to Martinsburg, from the Eastern Panhandle to the Ohio Valley. The turnaround in Wheeling isn’t an isolated event — it’s a reflection of a statewide movement to strengthen access, quality, and confidence in healthcare across West Virginia.

The transformation at Wheeling is mirrored across WVU Medicine’s North Region, which now includes six hospitals — Wheeling Hospital, Reynolds Memorial Hospital, Wetzel County Hospital, Barnesville Hospital, Harrison Community Hospital, and Weirton Medical Center — each contributing to a shared mission of expanding access and raising standards of care for every West Virginian.

Earning Back Trust Statewide

In just a few years, Wheeling Hospital has gone from a headline of crisis to a symbol of progress. Its story stands as proof that recovery in West Virginia’s healthcare system doesn’t require luck — it requires leadership, accountability, and a deep respect for the people who live and work here.

WVU Medicine’s vision is simple but profound: invest in the communities that others overlook, empower the people who care for them, and make excellence the expectation — not the exception.

That’s how Wheeling Hospital earned its comeback. And that’s how West Virginia is quietly — and powerfully — rewriting the story of healthcare in our state.

Harrison is WVU Medicine’s North Region President.