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Big Step in a New Direction: WVU Medicine Camden Clark looks to south Parkersburg with latest facility

By Brett Dunlap 7 min read

PARKERSBURG -- WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center has been expanding into south Parkersburg.

The new Southgate Medical Complex opened in September and had an official ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday. The complex is at the Southgate Shopping Center in the space where the former Big Lots store was located.

"With any project such as this, it begins with an idea," said Dr. Terry Capel, a primary care physician and chairman of the hospital's Board of Directors. "(Camden Clark President/CEO) Steve (Altmiller) came to the Board three to four years ago with the idea of putting a facility on the south side.

"At that time there weren't any major facilities over here. It sounded to the board that this would be a good thing to have over here."

The idea became a vision and they looked for a place where they could build such a facility. The medical center teamed with Mondo Builders to build the project. What they have created is the first phase.

Services include primary care, diagnostic services, lab services, podiatry, pediatrics and more as well as Rapid Care for both adults and children.

"We have an excellent staff here that are very involved and looking forward to helping people," Capel said. "This facility is not only improving healthcare, but it is actually saving lives."

He has heard from many residents who are thankful they located the facility in south side.

"We are particularly proud of this project," said Sean Smith, WVU Medicine Camden Clark Chief of Operations. "It allows us to combine and expand existing operations ... but it also allows us to deliver new services as we opened the region's first Pediatric Rapid Care this month and it has really taken off."

Altmiller said they had two practices on the south side on Division Street and at Patriot Point that have combined and moved to the Southgate Complex.

The complex opened in September without any promotion, but they still are still seeing 20% growth compared to last year at the former two locations.

"A third of the population of Parkersburg lives in south Parkersburg," Altmiller said. "We are here to provide access to south Parkersburg, improve care and have an impact on healthcare in West Virginia.

"This is our investment in south Parkersburg. This is the first phase of our investment."

The first phase involved consolidation and moving the other facilities to the Southgate location. They also opened the Rapid Care practice in January which is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

"That was big improvements over the services we previously offered in south Parkersburg," Altmiller said. "Our second phase will expand to more of the diagnostic and service areas like podiatry and occupational medicine and other services."

Altmiller said they are leasing the $6-$8 million facility.

Crystal Tolley, Assistant Vice President of Clinical Operations for Camden Clark, said people used to have to travel between the two previous sites in south Parkersburg for different services that could have stemmed from one visit. Now all of those services are located in one spot.

"We wanted to offer those services under one roof," she said. "We had the vision, we found the location and we made it happen.

"The Southgate Medical Complex is intended to be a location that is close to home for residents in south Parkersburg."

The facility has lab, x-ray and CT services all at one location.

"People don't have to drive to multiple locations in the same day," Tolley said. "It is a better location with ample parking."

The Pediatric Rapid Care is distinguished by the fact they have board certified pediatricians that will see the children who arrive there, she said.

Dr. Charles Davis is one of the pediatricians located at Southgate who sees the Rapid Care patients. He grew up in Welch, W.Va., in a very rural area.

"I can remember families having to drive an hour or more to find primary care or immediate care other than going to an emergency room," he said. "We are able to serve those patients who may not have the means to travel that far.

"Having everything in one area is a win-win for the providers and the families and the community. It is the ease of access to these resources to provide the best care that we can."

Camden's Pediatrics Division is tied into Children's Hospital at WVU where they can be in contact and collaborate for the patient's best interest and treatment outcome. Tolley said.

Many issues children face may not be at the emergency level, but they can come in and be looked at, Davis said, adding being available helps ease the demand on their emergency room.

"We serve as an extension to our other services," he said. "We work hand in hand with our primary care providers to provide a service so our patients have somewhere they can go.

"We provide that triage for that provider. It is quick, it is effective. If we feel like there is more that is needed we are able to provide some services here and more importantly if the resources extend beyond what we are able to do we can get that person to the next phase."

Davis said pediatrics is always at a high pace. It is important for parents to get the care for their child before it can become something more serious requiring an "escalation of care."

"I think that is what we are doing here and I think that is great," he said. "We can help them get to that next step if they need that specialized care."

He has already seen that locally with people they have had to send on to the emergency room and others who needed more specialized care.

There is also a benefit in parents being able to see a doctor immediately if they feel something is wrong with their child. They might not be able to get in immediately to see their regular doctor and don't want to wait to address their concern.

"We work hand in hand with our primary care providers to provide a service," Davis said. "Maybe the problem they have is not emergent and can be addressed.

"Having everything in one place is a win-win for the providers and the families and the community. It is the ease of access to these resources to provide the best care that we can."

Southgate also has Adult Urgent Care, primary care doctors (who serve patients from birth to geriatric) and podiatrists with plans to expand that service more in the future, Tolley said, adding they are in contact with the whole WVU Medicine system, through their electronic record and the telephone, where doctors can consult and have recommendations made, if needed.

"Communication is the backbone of being able to provide effective medicine," Davis added. "The more we can communicate, the more effective the care."

Tulley said it was important for Camden Clark to expand services into south Parkersburg.

"The Southgate Medical Complex is intended to be a location that is close to home for residents in south Parkersburg," she said. "It shows that outcomes are better when patients receive services closer to home.

"We wanted to serve the community where they are."

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com

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