Plans for 'Old' UHC in Beginning Stages - WBOY-TV

CLARKSBURG -- The North Central West Virginia Trade Development Association met this afternoon to discuss business ventures and ideas that impact our region.

One big talking point at today's meeting was the future of the current United Health Care Center: who might take over, what it would become, and who it could benefit.

"From my recollection, $1.5 million a year to maintain in mothballs," claims Michael Romano, Vice President of the Association. "But if you compare that to the $40 million we spend on entities out of our state to care for our folks that need mental health assistance, then real quickly that building becomes viable."

Those mental patients - and those dollars - could stay in West Virginia if Highland Medical Group turns UHC into a mental health facility.

Highland's big concern is that it doesn't need all that space.

Glenville State College had a proposal to integrate the school's Nursing Program.

"It's certainly an opportunity for a lot closer internship than having to pack up and move to Charleston," explained Glenville State President Dr. Pete Barr. "It also provides opportunities for students if they were here as interns to have readily available housing."

Senator Joseph Minard (D - Harrison) says he would like to see a partnership with the Louis A Johnson V-A Medical Center.

"I say the Veterans Administration because of all the troops coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq," advised Minard. "You're going to have a great, great need for mental health facilities and we do not have enough facilities at the VA Clinic."

Senator Doug Facemire (D - Braxton) says Highland Medical Group had plans to build a $30 million mental health facility in Beckley, but is enticed at the idea of moving into a building that would require minimal renovations.

"It's going to take a commitment from the state to guarantee at least 125 beds at Highland," explained Facemire. "That's what Highland needs to make this a profitable venture for them, and with the number of patients we're sending out of state, I don't think that will be a problem."

Facemire says he and others plan to meet Governor Manchin in two weeks to see if the plan is a viable option for West Virginia.

For more information on these hospitals, visit the links below.

NIMBY: UHC IS in my backyard. I have been a Clarksburg property owner for years and there have always been numerous mentally ill wandering the streets. There is also a sky-high drug addiction problem in Clarksburg - these people need to have somewhere to go for treatment. What would you suggest we do with them, dump them somewhere else like people do with the many ducks at the VA Park? No one but you suggested they were high-risk. The story does not state that these individuals are criminally insane or dangerous.

B Meadows,

I guess you did not understand my posting. I stated that Clarksburg already has the highest per capita ratio of sex offenders in West Virginia. By adding a hospital for mental illness, we are adding another problem to be monitored in Clarksburg. Unless a patient is committed by a court, they can check out at will...into our City. We do not need another half-way house.

If you are so supportive, why not offer your home or backyard?

A drug rehab is what we need around here. I say close the methadone clinic and give people some real help instead of selling them more drugs. And the need for in house treatment has really grown in the last 15 years.

"Not in my back yard": This is not a prison for sex-offenders, it is a hospital for the mentally ill. And so you would rather have them wandering around the streets of Clarksburg like they already are rather than being safely housed in a facility where they would receive treatment? Hopefully you will never need hospitaliztion for your paranoia. Feel free to take your heartless attitude out of my backyard.

To Not in my backyard:

Who said that this was going to be a place for the criminally insane? All they are talking about is a mental health facility when doctors/therapists can have offices, possibly where the VA can have veterans get assistance for PTSD from being in combat, possibly other long term mental health needs. That doesn't mean that pedophiles or psychotic killers are going to be admitted. Not all those who need mental health assistance are criminals.

I would welcome a facility like this because mental health is one area that WV is severely lacking.

Clarksburg has at least 70 registered sex offenders. We certainly do not need a hospital filled with high-risk mentally challenged people to add to the problem. Eventually some of those will be released into half-way houses in the local community, but not in my backyard! I will move out of Harrison County before I agree to adding to the problem.

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