logo
WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital breaks ground on PCH Bluefield campus

WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital breaks ground on PCH Bluefield campus

Yahoo06-06-2025
BLUEFIELD, WV (WVNS) – WVU Medicine continues to expand with the breaking of ground for the new Bluefield campus of Princeton Community Hospital.
Located on Southview Drive, the $25 million facility will offer state-of-the-art care to residents in the area.
The location will be home to the Bluefield Emergency Department and PCH Behavioral Health Center, and the expansion itself is part of an effort by WVU Medicine to offer comprehensive access and care to patients no matter where they are in the state, according to Princeton Community Hospital President and CEO, Karen Bowling.'One reason WVU Medicine has expanded is we want to make sure we are serving the entire community and that it is a comprehensive level of care,' she said. 'If you think about it, we're on the same medical record. Whether you're in Princeton or you're in Bluefield, whether you need to go to Ruby to have a bone marrow transplant – we're all on the same medical record.'Bowling said the expansion is about communities, families, and serving the region as well as the state. 'As someone who grew up in this region, I know firsthand how much this investment means,' she continued. 'This project is about more than bricks and mortar; it's about giving our families, friends, and neighbors access to the kind of care they deserve, right here at home. WVU Medicine is making a promise to this region, and I'm proud to be part of delivering on that promise.'
WVU Medicine President & CEO, Albert Wright reiterated the importance of widespread coverage under a single umbrella as it pertains to patient care. 'This project exemplifies WVU Medicine's unwavering investment in delivering high-quality, accessible care to West Virginians,' he said. 'By expanding services and upgrading facilities, like here at the Bluefield Campus, we're not only enhancing patient care, but we're also reinforcing our long-term commitment to advancing health outcomes in southern West Virginia.'Features of the Bluefield campus will include:
The new emergency department (ED) will include:
20 exam rooms, including two rooms designed for psychiatric intake
Two resuscitation rooms and two triage rooms
OB-ready and trauma rooms
Centralized care team support stations
Dedicated patient and ambulance entrances
Diagnostic Radiology — two radiology rooms
Computed Tomography (CT) — one CT scanner
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) — one MRI scanner (a new service for Bluefield)
Ultrasound — two ultrasound rooms (a new service for Bluefield)
Guest speakers and live music were part of the groundbreaking celebration as guests got their first look at plans for the new facility. PCH plans to officially open the doors to its Bluefield campus in the Fall of 2027, as the provider hopes to further extend the scope of patient accessibility and care.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Doug Ford extends term of Ontario's top civil servant
Doug Ford extends term of Ontario's top civil servant

Hamilton Spectator

timea day ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

Doug Ford extends term of Ontario's top civil servant

Premier Doug Ford wants a firm hand on the tiller of government as he settles in for a third term following his election victory in February. He has extended the term of the head of Ontario's civil service, Secretary of Cabinet Michelle DiEmanuele, by three years at an annual salary of $682,500 to oversee the work of more than 60,000 staff, from deputy ministers to clerks, implementing policy and providing services in every corner of the province. Ford gave the veteran civil servant and former hospital president a shout-out last Friday at a new medical clinic at Richmond Hill. Ontario is expanding privately run surgical and diagnostic centres to deliver MRI and CT scans 'Michelle makes the machinery of the government move. She does an incredible job day in and day out and she doesn't get enough acknowledgment,' the premier said. 'By the way, she works 365 days a year, 24 hours a day it seems — and she's had many late night calls from me as well.' The extended appointment to June 30, 2028 was detailed in an order-in-council this week. DiEmanuele, a deputy minister under former Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty, was named by Ford to the top public service job in May 2021. At the time, she had been working as president and CEO of Trillium Health Partners, the Peel hospital system that is one of Ontario's largest. In that job she led the voluntary merger of Credit Valley Hospital and the Trillium Health Centre. Premier Doug Ford has tapped a respected hospital president to lead the Ontario public service. Her appointment was hailed across the political spectrum as the province began to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Michelle is whip smart, thoughtful and respected — the perfect type of leader to guide Ontario's public service as we begin our recovery,' Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, then the mayor of Mississauga, said four years ago. Similarly, Gerald Butts, a key architect of the elections of Liberal prime ministers Mark Carney and Justin Trudeau as well as McGuinty's premiership, praised her in 2021 as 'a top drawer pro of a public servant.' Known as a no-nonsense administrator, DiEmanuele has been lauded for improving the diversity of the highest ranks of the civil service. In 2007, McGuinty seconded her to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation to help clean up a then-troubled Crown agency roiling from a scandal involving questionable insider lottery wins that had been highlighted by the auditor general. DiEmanuele's previous posts in the Ontario civil service include associate secretary of the cabinet, deputy minister of human resources, chair of the Public Service Commission, deputy minister of government and consumer services and secretary to the management board. In the private sector, she was vice-president of branch and small business banking at CIBC and a vice-president at Brookfield Properties Ltd.

Dementia warning for rugby players as quarter show red flag signs
Dementia warning for rugby players as quarter show red flag signs

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

Dementia warning for rugby players as quarter show red flag signs

A new study suggests former rugby players show a higher prevalence of brain changes linked to dementia than matched members of the general population. Levels of a protein called p-tau217, a potential sign of dementia, were higher overall (17.6 per cent) in a group of 200 retired male and female players who said they had suffered significant previous head impact exposure in their careers, compared to 33 matched controls with no exposure to head injuries. Levels of the protein – common in people with diseases like Alzheimer's – were significantly increased in 46 (23 per cent) of the player group. MRI scans also revealed former players had reduced brain volume in some areas, compared with the control group. None of the participants were found to have dementia at the time of the study, which is ongoing and being conducted by researchers at Imperial College London, University College London and the UK Dementia Research Institute. Dr Jacqui Hanley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'Although none of the rugby players developed young-onset dementia during the study, they did show changes known to be linked to dementia. READ MORE: Jessie J says she has chosen to stop taking some meds in cancer battle READ MORE: Foster care grandma killed trying to stop boy, 12, taking her car 'These include smaller brain volumes and higher levels of p-tau217 protein in the blood, which is common in people with diseases like Alzheimer's. It is too early to say whether these players will go on to develop dementia and whether the physical brain changes observed will predict cognitive difficulties later in their lives. 'There are also key limitations to bear in mind, such as the reliance on self-reporting and interview to determine traumatic brain injury history. However, as the study continues for another four years it should provide some insight into whether these markers in the blood and brain continue to change and how this could impact the rugby players' memory and thinking abilities.' Previous studies have suggested a link between playing rugby and football and an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative disease, such as the FIELD Study in football, which found footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease than age-matched members of the population. There are ongoing legal cases in rugby league, rugby union and football involving former players who claim the sporting authorities failed to adequately protect them from exposure to head injuries.

"My Mom Almost Died From It": 21 Common Medical Conditions That Can Be Much, Much More Serious Than You Think
"My Mom Almost Died From It": 21 Common Medical Conditions That Can Be Much, Much More Serious Than You Think

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

"My Mom Almost Died From It": 21 Common Medical Conditions That Can Be Much, Much More Serious Than You Think

When it comes to our health, sometimes seemingly small things can have big consequences. Recently, on Reddit, people shared common medical conditions that can be much more serious than people realize, and it was really eye-opening. Here are some of the top comments: 1."Sleep apnea." —SwiftBilly "I was diagnosed 12ish years ago, but couldn't stand the CPAP they gave me, so I pretty much ignored it. About eight months ago, I was diagnosed with seizures. Turns out they're a secondary condition of untreated sleep apnea. I got an updated CPAP about four months ago, and it works so much better than my first one." —epicenter69 Related: 2."High blood pressure. We don't call it 'the silent killer' for nothing." —JoMoBloMo "Oof, for real! I left my hypertension undiagnosed and untreated for numerous years. No one thought it was true for me because I was 'so young to have high blood pressure' in my early and mid-20s. But heart problems run in my family, and I had all the high-risk behavior. When I got on meds, it was a game changer, and I feel so much better." —Secure-Persimmon-421 3."Autoimmune disease. It's painful, silent, and not easy to diagnose." —Teeeeeeeenie "It takes, ON AVERAGE, years to get diagnosed after the onset of symptoms. In the meantime, doctors are completely dismissive of your symptoms. You are tired because you are 'depressed.' Your hair is falling out because of 'stress.' Meanwhile, you feel like you're going crazy." —johnstonb "It took 11 years for me to get diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease. I also have vitiligo. I honestly feel like if the vitiligo hadn't shown up, I would still be fighting for a diagnosis. Once I had an autoimmune disorder that showed on my skin and couldn't be ignored, doctors started taking me more seriously." —Opening-Interest747 "I lost six years of my life, was put on every anti-depressant/anti-psychotic medication, was diagnosed as Bipolar, and was eventually locked up in a mental institution. All because it never occurred to my doctors to check my thyroid." —ChefCarolina 4."Migraines. They can be totally debilitating and increase the likelihood of other serious neurological disorders." —Quickhurryupslowdown "I had to take FMLA seven years ago for a migraine that lasted day and night for 2.5 months straight. MRI showed I had suffered four mini strokes on my left temporal lobe. That was miserable. Wake up, light and sound hurt, and pass out from pain. I ate once every other day at best." —ozzies09tc "My husband has had chronic, almost daily migraines for almost 20 years. It's debilitating! His life revolves around how his head feels. It's the worst during the summer months, he spends days to weeks in our bedroom with blackout curtains drawn and an eye mask on. I feel so horrible that I can't help him. He's tried numerous medications, injections, supplements, diet changes, etc, and nothing helps. He's seen all different types of doctors to try to nail down the cause, but no one can figure it out. I can't imagine being in the amount of pain he is in most days, but he is still the nicest, most positive person I know." —takethepain-igniteit 5."Dehydration. It can impair brain function and cause organ failure and death. It's also easier than you think to become dehydrated." —notade50 "After a bout of gastro managed to get dehydrated. Couldn't remember certain details, such as where I was and what day and date it was. Couldn't remember a special holiday and whether it had happened or was about to happen. Scary, and yet nobody thought I should get to the ER. I've said to those close to me that if that happens again, get me an ambulance. Really sucks not to have the same concern shown to me that I show to others." —CEO_of_my_life "Had kidney stones twice and was hospitalized for dehydration twice. Drink lots of water, my friends." —Without_Portfolio 6."Having chronic pain. People just can't imagine never having a break from being stuck with pain, and how it affects basically anything in daily life. Directly and indirectly. From systemic sleep deprivation to a full-blown depression and all sorts of other health risks." —Ortofun "Agreed, never-ending pain, daily... and as you mentioned, all the depression, hopelessness, and more creep in over time. I have had severe Rheumatoid Arthritis since I was 12 years old and have had it for almost 30 years. The older you get, the more difficult it becomes to keep up with life as a whole. Can't even tie my own shoelaces. Keep strong and all the best." —PampoenKoekie "It affects everything: sleep, diet, daily routines, mental health. Because I am in pain, I don't want to move. Because I don't move, I get more pain. Activity means more pain. Inactivity means more pain. There is no winning. Chronic pain causes severe fatigue. Fatigue means less exercise. We don't get better from fatigue if we don't exercise. But too much exercise can also give us more fatigue. Getting food means pain. Eating and digesting mean more fatigue. Food is as important as exercise. So, eating well is a must, if only we had the energy for it. It is a battle with no end. Depending on the reason for the pain, we can add some lovely side dishes like migraines, food intolerances, allergies, sensitivities, temperature dysregulation, sleep disorders, emotional dysregulation, social isolation, depression, anxiety, grief, and whatever else. When we consider the side effects of the medications... well... May the odds be ever in your favor." —StrikeExcellent2970 Related: 7."Diabetes." —dee-three "I was diagnosed type 1 when I was 22, I'm coming up on my 10-year diaversary… I can't tell you how many times I was hospitalized in the beginning. Even now with an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor, I struggle some days. It can be very unpredictable. The worst so far for me has been slow healing and ridiculous wounds. I currently have no skin on my heels, all because I got a blister. It'll be a year tomorrow since I was first hospitalized for that." —mvachino67 8."Heartburn." —DoubleSunPossum "Yep. My mom had GERD, then Barrett's Esophagus, then malignant neoplasm of the esophagus. She's alive still, but I think only because they caught it early and could actually see damage." —Puzzleheaded-Diet-46 9."Epilepsy. People think my life isn't being impacted just because I'm not currently having a seizure. That's not the only symptom. It's so common, yet people generally know nothing about it." —LadyPickleLegs "Not to mention injuries, SUDEP [Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy], and status epilepticus, people can get brain damage, and some can even die from a seizure. I never knew that there were all different types of epilepsy or how dangerous some types can be before my daughter had her first (which was clusters for 30 minutes before paramedics arrived). Also, side effects from medicine affect day-to-day life and require extra caution with activities like swimming." —ScreenSignificant596 10."Changes in bowel habits — don't delay investigations." —sprinklywinks "Seriously! And if your doctor doesn't take you seriously, find someone else. I nearly died from fecal impaction throughout my entire large intestine, and even into my small intestine. My doctor actually had a go at me for 'complaining about symptoms that were just annoying but not serious' for YEARS before referring me to a GI specialist. I would have saved myself a lot of pain and malnutrition if I'd just gotten a second opinion earlier." —ImpactFlimsy5376 Related: 11."HPV can cause cervical, uterine, ovarian, and esophageal cancer. But it's commonly looked at as 'most people get it at some point in their life, it'll go away on its own in a few years.' And HSV (herpes/cold sores) can be deadly for babies." —Ask4Answers_ "Agreed. It's such a silent thing in your body. I was 33 when the regular smear test turned out to be a CIN III, the stage before it became cervical cancer. I had a review appointment with a hospital, not knowing they would do a treatment to remove a certain amount of my cervix right away. I was shocked how close I was to getting cancer there." —Common-Extension8892 12."Pediatric asthma. We've been to the PICU twice, and she's only 3. It's scary how rhinovirus can trigger respiratory distress. " —External-Ad-5642 "I was one of those kids, way back before the treatments and meds we have now. I was hospitalized 16 times between the ages of 5 and 16 with pneumonia. Had a collapsed lung once. Missing so much school alone had a profound effect on my life. I'm so lucky we have inhaled steroids and rescue inhalers now. I can't imagine how it was for my parents, watching their child gasp for air like a fish out of water. If I caught a cold, it almost always ended in pneumonia. I feel for you and your child, but know we're in a much better position to treat this disease now. Hang in there." —DarthFoofer 13."Endometriosis." —flaminhotcheetah "I battled endometriosis for years; it was debilitating. I felt like I got no freaking break from it, I was hurting before, during, and after period, and it started all over gain next month. I couldn't do it any longer and finally had a partial hysterectomy at the age of 27." —Successful-Love6146 14."Sepsis. Many think it's just a bad infection, but it's a life-threatening response to infection that can lead to organ failure and death if not treated quickly. Early signs like confusion, rapid breathing, or extreme chills should never be ignored." —ColdAntique291 "My mom nearly died from sepsis. She got a UTI and had zero symptoms until she developed the symptoms you describe. If my dad didn't notice her confusion, she might not have gone to the hospital in time. She now has to regularly take home UTI tests because she continues to get asymptomatic UTIs." —justlkin "Spent weeks in the hospital this past fall with sepsis. I'm positive that the only reason I survived it is because I wasn't septic until AFTER I checked in. I arrived with four different severe infections, and they flagged me as a high sepsis risk. Lo and behold, about 12 hours after I got into my room, my skin felt like it was on fire, and I started projectile vomiting every 5 minutes, and I shivered so hard I cracked two ribs." —ready_set_cry 15."Alcoholism. In A LOT of circles, getting completely hammered every single night of the week is seen as commonplace and even amusing. The physical health aspect alone is disastrous, not to mention the mental health piece is completely nightmarish. I got out of it before things got too bad for me, but I was easily heading down a road you don't want to be on. Quitting drinking 100% saved my life in more ways than one." —eggflip1020 "I'm watching one of my daughter's friends slowly drink herself to death as we speak. She's 22. She's been in multiple car accidents she doesn't remember, she's urinated on herself while sleeping, she's bloated, and she HAS to drink every day at this point or she starts going through withdrawal. She realized she needed to change when she was blacking out every time she was drinking- turns out, she's reasoned that this 'change' was that she needed to stop drinking hard liquor. Her parents are quite literally drinking themselves to death as we speak, so it's no wonder she's on the path she is. I wish I could do something to help." —Yabbos77 16."Pregnancy." —nomcormz "It seems like people forget that women still regularly die while pregnant and during childbirth." —creepyging923 Related: 17."Anemia. Not only are there very serious types, like sickle cell, that can be extremely painful and life-threatening. But even plain old iron deficiency anemia can be extremely debilitating and difficult to treat." "I have regular old iron deficiency anemia. It's caused by extremely heavy and constant menstruation from a combination of uterine fibroids and bilateral ovarian masses that are quite literally the size of small melons. I am scheduled for surgery in September, but I need to manage as best I can until then. The fatigue and tiredness I feel are beyond description. Some days, I can barely even make myself get up to go to the bathroom. Most days, I can only muster up enough energy to be functional for a couple of hours. I can't drive long distances anymore. I'm worried it's not safe. I'm always cold, my hair is falling out, and my skin is dry and itchy. I also get sores in my mouth and bruises that never heal. I take supplements, eat an iron-rich diet, and have infusions, but it's slow going to actually see improvement. The anemia and the treatments I've undergone to help fix it have caused a cascade of other vitamin and mineral deficiencies that have their own side effects. I can't be out in the sun, or I break out in hives. Some of my issues have been caused by the bleeding itself, like dehydration and hypovolemia. People, even some doctors, don't understand that severe cases of anemia can be debilitating. My whole life is more or less on pause right now because of these issues." —kmill0202 18."PCOS. While it's not disabling, the symptoms have dominated my life since puberty and into my 30s and foreseeable future. It's not just irregular periods and intense pain when it comes. It's been nearly two decades of battling with acne that is more than 'you need to wash your face and use topicals.' It's endless frustration being told that to get rid of it, I must lose weight. Not understanding why the same diet and exercise regimens weren't working for me as for my friends, only to learn at 30 that PCOS gives me insulin resistance and I have to eat less and completely differently." "A battle to look normal. And I don't even have the infertility struggles and hair growth issues that other PCOS sufferers have to endure." —Majestic_Frosting316 "Most doctors only give a shit about PCOS in regards to infertility, not any of the debilitating or humiliating symptoms that can wreck one's life." —littlecactuscat 19."Urinary tract infections. Lots of elderly people end up with broken hips or even blood infections that begin as UTIs." —Emergency-Economy654 "My gramps died earlier this year from a UTI that was symptomless but got into his bloodstream." —1800twat "The symptoms it causes in elderly people are also different from the ones exhibited by younger people. One of the main symptoms, other than pain, is confusion/dizziness. The symptoms can manifest almost like a stroke or hypoxia." —Yabbos77 20."ADHD. It's definitely commonly recognized and treated, but I don't think most non-ADHD people truly understand how frustrating it is to live with it. Your whole life revolves around it, because unless you're always keeping it in check, you can't live in normal society, and it's fucking exhausting having to always be hyper aware of everything you do. Your productivity, your memory, your sensory perception, all of that, is, by default, hindered permanently compared to a neurotypical person, but unfortunately, most things are built around neurotypical capabilities (working 9-5, etc.), and it's so mentally draining to force yourself to adapt to that culture. "Meds and good habits help, but they can only do so much. No matter what you do or take, you will sooner or later fall into a cycle of procrastination, of forgetfulness, of 'ADHD paralysis,' of sensory overstimulation, and it fucking sucks because it's so difficult to explain to people. It's become so normalized that most people, at least the ones I've talked to, think you're overplaying it or that it's not that big of a deal." —Frysken finally, "Impacted wisdom teeth. I almost died from mine. One day, I woke up with a toothache and went to the ER. They sent me home, said you have a toothache, go see a dentist. The next day, it was swollen, and the pain was worse, so I went to a different ER. They gave me painkillers and told me to go see a dentist. The next day, I woke up, and my eye was swollen shut." "My throat was swollen, and I had trouble breathing. Went to a third ER where they told me I had an abscess from impacted wisdom teeth, and the swelling was very close to my brain. If I had waited another hour, I'd be dead. So I went from a minor toothache to almost dead in about three days. So any time I hear someone question whether or not to get their wisdom teeth out, I insist they do!" —MeggyGrex Is there anything you would add? Tell us about it in the comments or via the anonymous form below: Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful:

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store