Wheeling Hospital

Description

About Us
Wheeling Hospital has served the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia Eastern Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania longer than any other hospital in West Virginia It was founded in 1850 by Bishop Richard V Whelan and Dr Simon Hullihen and is owned by the Diocese of WheelingCharleston

The hospital has 276 beds and the medical staff totals 230 primary care and specialty physicians

In addition to the hospital the complex includes the Bishop Joseph H Hodges Continuous Care Center the Wheeling Renal Care and the Howard Long Wellness Center Connected to the hospital are four medical office buildings where 80 physicians have their private offices

The Wheeling Clinic a division of Wheeling Hospital houses more physician offices the Visiting Nurses Association and the Medical Park Foundation Belmont Community Hospital Belmont Health Center St Clairsville Health Center and Powhatan Health Center all in Ohio and Wellsburg Clinic in Brooke County WV are also affiliates of Wheeling Hospital

Wheeling Hospitals Medical Education Department includes residencies in family medicine and osteopathic medicine as well as a Radiology Program

A full range of medical care is available at Wheeling Hospital including cardiac catheterization laser surgery kidney dialysis cancer treatment sports medicine corporate health and wellness programs

Wheeling Hospital Mission
Wheeling Hospital is a Catholic Hospital that serves as a health ministry providing compassionate care to people of all faiths in a loving spiritual environment God gives us the responsibility to carry out His mission of healing and to promote the wellbeing of our employees and our community In doing so we the Wheeling Hospital family fulfill our mission through our

Healing

Understanding

Ministry

Advanced Technology

Nurturance

Tradition

Ongoing Education

Unity

Care

Hope

History

Wheeling Hospital History
The first Wheeling Hospital incorporated in March 1850 was located behind the convent and academy of the Visitation Nuns at 14th and Eoff streets The convent later became the convent of the Sisters of St Joseph Patients paid 97 cents a day for ward accommodations at the new hospital which was the first medical care facility along a 410mile stretch of the Ohio River between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati Paid nurses were on duty as were hospital cofounders Dr Simon Hullihen Dr John Frissell and Dr MM Houston

Records indicate Wheeling Hospital operated at a net loss of 10161 during its second year Receipts totaled 240773 and expenses were 250934

Bishop Richard V Whelan the hospitals other cofounder brought the Sisters of St Joseph from St Louis to care for hospital patients in 1853 when the institution twice moved to larger quarters first to the Zane residence on Chapline Street then to the Metcalf property on 15th Street During the first year in its new location Wheeling Hospital admitted 153 patients

The care of orphans was added to the Sisters of St Joseph responsibilities in 1853 and it became necessary in 1856 to move Wheeling Hospital to the former Michael Sweeney mansion on the banks of the Ohio River in North Wheeling Bed capacity was increased from 30 to 50

Virginia seceded from the Union in early 1861 but 56 western Virginia delegates met in Wheeling and declared independence from Virginia leading to the creation of West Virginia During the Civil War naval riverboats delivered wounded to a dock constructed below the hospital When the river was at a low stage a wooden ladder was extended to the shore

Civil War wounded from both the Union and Confederacy crowded the hospital The federal government took over the facility as a quotpost hospitalquot in April 1864 and the Sisters became army nurses To make room for the wounded the orphans were moved to a house on Wheeling Island and the Sisters gave up their cots In August of that year the entire hospital was taken over as a US Army General Hospital It continued with that designation until early 1865 when the number of wounded soldiers dwindled and it reverted back to quotpost hospitalquot

In 1871 the hospital was designated a Marine Hospital a designation which remained in place until the early 20th century

By 1892 following additions to the former Sweeney mansion Wheeling Hospital had 90 beds In 1900 the Wheeling Hospital School of Nursing was established

Under Bishop Patrick J Donahue the first addition was made to Wheeling Hospital in 1903 The 50000 North Wing provided 35 more beds Patients had the opportunity for scenic relaxation and fresh air on the hospitals new porches facing the river Completion of the new South Wing in 1914 took the bed total to 200

In 1928 Wheeling residents were asked for the first time to contribute to a campaign to expand Wheeling Hospital The hospital trustees sought 350000 for a new Center Wing The public responded by contributing more than 500000 The hospitals center building the last trace of the Sweeney mansion was razed and a new structure built It contained patient rooms a modern operating suite XRay Department delivery units and other facilities The new bed capacity was 230

In 1947 Wheeling Hospital built a new School of Nursing In 1948 a department specializing in physical therapy was opened and two years later Wheeling Hospital began its Outpatient Department

In July 1960 the hospital launched a 15 million Center Wing expansion campaign aided by a matching federal grant under the Hill Burton Program Including six floors and a basement level the addition provided a modern kitchen new central service department 41 more beds new maternitylabordelivery facilities expanded and renovated operating and recovery rooms The expansion was completed in 1962

Wheeling Hospitals Intensive Care Unit established in 1963 and the Coronary Care Unit initiated in 1966 were the first such facilities in West Virginia In 1965 the emergency room was tripled in size to include waiting room facilities observation areas and an emergency suite to handle all types of major and minor cases In 1967 the hospital opened its new orthopedic section That construction eliminated the last of the 12bed wards Now there were a maximum of four beds per room

The new Maternity Department opened in 1968 as did the expanded admission and diagnostic unit for outpatients The modern laboratory also was begun in 1968 In addition to its School of Nursing Wheeling Hospital established schools for Xray technicians lab assistants and nurse anesthetists and initiated the areas first externship program to provide summer training for medical students

In the late 1960s the hospital opened a new department specializing in treating breathing diseases and disorders and in the early 1970s a new XRay Department was installed By 1970 the hospitals staff numbered 425 full and parttime employees

By 1975 Wheeling Hospitals directors and administrators accepted the recommendations of consultants who said a new hospital was needed because of the limitations on the North Wheeling facilitys physical plant and site The board of directors acquired a 212acre site of undeveloped land next to Interstate 70 in Wheelings Oak ParkClator area Extension of Mount de Chantal Road provided access from the interstate at Washington Avenue

Once again the hospital turned to the public for help While consultants who looked at the hospitals service area predicted a fund drive would net 600000 Wheeling residents came through with an astounding 6 million Grading and preparation for the site began in January 1968 and on Oct 23 1972 ground was broken for the new 25 million hospital

The new Wheeling Hospital was dedicated on Sunday June 1 1975 Patients were moved in on June 21 after months of extensive planning and preparation

A little over one month later a massive cloudburst hit the area flooding the lower level and forcing the evacuation of more than 200 patients Wheeling Hospital employees and volunteers pitched in for the flood cleanup quite a formidable task

In 1981 the new Pulmonary Laboratory opened and the Pastoral Care Department was expanded Ground was broken in 1982 for the new 36 million Bishop Joseph Hodges Continuous Care Center and Kidney Dialysis Center Opened the following year the facility enabled Wheeling Hospital to transfer those units from North Wheeling

Wheeling Hospital moved into the laser era in 1986 with laser procedures involving neurosurgery Also that year the hospital began a 94 million expansion of its Outpatient Center

In 1996 Belmont Community Hospital in Bellaire became an affiliate of Wheeling Hospital offering primary care and selected specialty services for the residents of the upper Ohio Valley In addition to the hospitals complete array of diagnostic testing and treatment services for inpatients and outpatients services are now available at its outpatient centers located in Powhatan Point Shadyside Bellaire and St Clairsville

Additional divisions of Wheeling Hospital include the Wheeling Clinic and the Wellsburg Clinic The Wheeling Clinic on 16th Street is a centrally located medical arts facility that offers outpatient medical care in a variety of physician specialties The Wellsburg Clinic located at 1423 Commerce St offers quality outpatient medical care to residents of Brooke Jefferson Hancock and Washington counties

During the 1990s Wheeling Hospital introduced Centers of Excellence areas of service that allow patients to receive stateoftheart medical care close to home These include the Schiffler Cancer Center the Cardiac Surgery Center the Womens Health Center the 55000squarefoot Howard Long Wellness Center and the Emergency Trauma Center

Now into the 21st Century Wheeling Hospital continues to build on its tradition of skill and service hope and love to provide highquality health care with the Human Touch