Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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April 16, 2010

Public gets first look inside Behavioral Health Pavilion

By GREG JORDAN Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEFIELD — An open house gave the public its first opportunity Thursday to see a new health facility that will provide programming and services for the treatment of behavioral health, psychiatric, emotional and substance abuse illnesses to people in both of the Virginias.

The Behavioral Health Pavilion of the Virginias, situated in the former St. Luke’s Hospital, opened with tours that allowed the public to see the newest member of Mercer County’s health care community. Its facilities include 64 inpatient beds which include 30 beds for geriatric patients, 24 beds for adults, a 10-bed psychiatric intensive care unit and space for outpatient therapy and counseling.

Besides offering behavioral health care services to the region, the pavilion is also a new employer, said Wayne Griffith, chief executive officer of Princeton Community Hospital. The pavilion will start out with approximately 65 to 70 employees, and may later expand to 95 to 100 employees as new services are opened. Some personnel will come from PCH, but that leaves positions that must be filled back in Princeton.

Diamond Healthcare Corporation in Richmond, Va. has partnered with PCH to provide services at the pavilion, said George White, president and CEO of Diamond Healthcare.

“We bring our passion every single day to make this a facility you can be proud of,” White told guests gathered in the pavilion’s cafeteria. Later he added: “We’ve been planning this program for over three years. A lot of dedicated people are here, and with facilities to offer high quality services to the people of Southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia.”

Fred St. John, president of the PCH Board of Directors said the pavilion could bring $10 million to the area’s economy in the form of employment, supplies and services.

Joetta Dotson, vice president of patient care services at PCH will help operate the pavilion with Linda Spangler, the facility’s clinical nurse manager.

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

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