MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital held its ribbon cutting on Sept. 24 at 11 a.m.

A huge crowd full of elected officials, WVU Medicine staff, donors, and friends and family gathered to celebrate the finishing of the five year project. This new building is a nine-story, 150 bed hospital that includes state-of-the-art-facilities, advanced specialty capabilities, and patient and family care.

The children that helped cut the ribbon for the announcing of the hospital planning in 2017 attended again on Saturday to help cut the ribbon for the actual building.

  • Car Seat Safety Check
  • Respiratory Therapy Table

There were also two services set up for those interested in checking them out. There was a “Free Car Seat Safety Check” through WVU Medicine Children’s Injury Prevention and Safety Program and a Respiratory Therapy Table. Bookbags with teddy bears and coloring books were also handed out to the kids.

Many speakers showed up to give speeches before the crowd of excited individuals. In order of events:

  • Albert Wright, Jr., President and CEO of the WVU Health
  • Gordon Gee, President of West Virginia University and chair of the WVU Health System Board of Directors
  • Michael Grace, President of WVU Hospitals and chief administrative officer of the WVU Health System
  • Amy Bush, Chief Administrative officer of WVU Children’s Hospital
  • Clay Marsh, Chancellor and Executive Dean of WVU Health Sciences
  • Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator from West Virginia
  • David McKinley, U.S. Representative from West Virginia
  • Jim Justice, West Virginia Governor
Gordon Gee celebrating the opening of the hospital (WBOY Image)

Michael Grace, President of WVU Hospitals, made comment on what this new building has to offer, “it’s a comprehensive children’s hospital so, if you can think of a service that is needed, we most likely will be able to provide it.”

While there are nine floors, the front entrance brings patients onto the second floor. Each floor includes:

  • Second floor – Kid’s emergency department, gift shop, café, chapel, and pharmacy.
  • Third floor – Maternal-Fetal medicine clinic and surgical and procedural services.
  • Fourth floor – Advanced pediatric imaging, heart center, blood disorder and cancer center.
  • Fifth floor – Building Support
  • Sixth floor – Intensive care, epilepsy monitoring, and cardiac intensive care units.
  • Seventh floor – Neonatal intensive care.
  • Eighth floor – Birthing center
  • Ninth floor – Pediatric acute care and inpatient cancer unit
  • Tenth floor – Family resource center.

Grace mentioned that this new hospital is a “free-leaning pediatric hospital” by saying, “it’s one of only about 25 or so free leaning hospitals across the country. Uh, pediatric hospitals, and what that means is we have, a attachment to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, uh, but we technically operate this hospital on its own.”

Not only will this $215 million hospital serve as “hope’s new home” for children in need of services, but it is also helping with the growth and development in North Central West Virginia. This new hospital made room for 500 new jobs and will serve as a catalyst for continued development of WVU hospitals. From a service standpoint and more importantly, it will help WVU hospitals continue to grow in taking care of all of the needs of West Virginians and all that they serve.

Patients of the new children’s hospital will begin moving in on Thursday, Sept. 29. This project has created space in J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, where the old children’s hospital used to be, in which they are planning a significant renovation worth over $100,000,000 of improvement that will enhance the services on the adult side.