A West Virginia hospital plans to join the Mountain Health Network under an agreement that calls for $39 million in investments over the next five years, health officials announced.
The agreement announced Thursday is the first step toward Pleasant Valley Hospital in Point Pleasant being acquired by Cabell Huntington Hospital and allowing the 101-bed nonprofit hospital to become part of the health network that also includes St. Marys Medical Center in Huntington, Mountain Health said in a news release.
Pleasant Valley already was under a 2013 management services agreement with Cabell Huntington.
The latest agreement calls for Cabell Huntington to invest $25 million in Pleasant Valley. That includes an upgrade in its information technology platform, renovations to the emergency department, additional physician recruitment and physician residency training programs in partnership with the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and Marshall Health.
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In addition, Pleasant Valley will contribute an estimated $14 million that Cabell Huntington will use toward capital improvement projects at the hospital, the statement said.
"With so many positive changes in Mason County and the surrounding area, the timing is right for Pleasant Valley Hospital to take the next step with Mountain Health Network to advance our future in caring for our community," Pleasant Valley board chairman Peter Allinder said in the statement.
Mountain Health CEO Kevin Yingling said the agreement's goal is to ensure access to advanced medicine and compassionate care for residents served by the Point Pleasant hospital from West Virginia and Ohio.
