WVU Medicine plans to build a 10,700-square-foot medical office building (MOB) located on Route 45 west of downtown Shepherdstown near Sheetz, which will house two physician’s office suites—one for primary care and one for specialists. Additionally, Berkeley Medical Center will offer x-ray and lab services to support the medical practices. There will also be an additional 2,300 square feet of unfinished space for future expansion.
Teresa McCabe, Vice President of Marketing & Development, WVU Medicine East, said, “Once we open the physician offices and determine additional needs, we will decide how to best use the ‘shelled’ space. I would also like to mention that we do not have plans at this time to open an urgent care center in our new building. Our primary care providers will see patients by appointment and will have some capacity to see walk-ins as well.”
WVU Medicine has conducted numerous studies to determine areas of the Eastern Panhandle that do not have a sufficient number of medical providers based on the population. Shepherdstown is one of those areas. Their goal is to improve access to medical services and eliminate the need for residents to drive out of town to see a provider.
“We found an excellent location and plan to open the new MOB in August, bringing much-needed primary and specialty medical care services to the residents of Shepherdstown,” added McCabe. “WVU Medicine is excited to have a presence in Shepherdstown and is looking forward to being a permanent part of the community.”
Filling the Gaps
Eric Lewis, co-owner of Seneca Crossing LLC, sold WVU Medicine Lot 1 in their three-lot commercial subdivision. Seneca Crossing LLC purchased the property in 2007, just as the real estate market was declining all over the U.S. They planned forty townhomes on the property, and that townhouse plat was approved in 2007.
“We quickly realized that there would not be a market for townhomes anytime soon, so we began exploring commercial uses to replace the townhouse plan,” stated Lewis. “We have never had a full-service medical facility in town. We’ve had doctors’ offices over the years, but never such a comprehensive primary care facility as WVU Medicine is building. We have been working with WVU Medicine for over two years to get this project done.”
WVU Medicine plans to hire primary care, subspecialty, and behavioral health providers. They will provide both primary care and specialty care for the full range of health needs of the community.
“Primary care will include family medicine and pediatrics, with both acute care and continuity visits available,” said Emma Morton-Eggleston, Dean and Associate Vice President, WVU Health Sciences Eastern Division. “Specialty care will consist of orthopedics and behavioral health with the addition of cardiology, endocrinology, and other specialties over time, pending community needs.”
Morton-Eggleston also pointed out how excited WVU Medicine is to provide a new source of full-spectrum care to Shepherdstown while building upon their existing care network in Jefferson County. “We are particularly looking forward to collaborating with the community on not only filling existing gaps, but forging new partnerships to best meet the health care needs of our patients and families.”
By Robin Murphy