Valley Health Care’s Elkins expansion project gets underway

ELKINS -- A groundbreaking ceremony for Valley Health Care's major expansion project took place at the Elkins facility Thursday morning.

"We're excited for the expansion," Jordan Godwin, CEO of Valley Health Care, said during the ceremony. "This will be 8,000 square feet of clinical space. We're going to have just over 20,000 square feet of total medical space here on our campus when the project is completed.

"We've got a lot of folks involved to make this happen for the community," Godwin said. "We can't wait to open it up and let our patients see the outcome."

Jonathan Kyle, chairman of the VHC board, said, "I want to thank our organization, our staff. These guys have put a lot of work into planning this, a lot of meetings. We're really excited to share this with the community. We've got a lot more exciting things coming, in Mill Creek and other areas where we have facilities. So stay tuned. "

Ryan Hess, a principal at Mills Group, said, "We sincerely want to thank Jordan and everybody within Valley Health Care for the opportunity to become the design professionals for the project. We've got a great team here. There's certainly a lot of happen here before we turn over the finished product, but we are very confident. It's a great day, everybody."

Chase Jarrett, a project manager at Jarrett Construction of Charleston, said, "I want to thank Jordan and the Valley Health Care team, and Mills Group, for giving us the opportunity to bid and accept us to perform the work. We're really excited for it. We think it's going to be a fantastic thing for the community. With the second floor, it's really going to be a great addition to the community."

Jarrett said work on the expansion project actually began earlier this week.

"We actually mobilized here on Monday. We identified some current site utilities and started minor demolition for the project. We've also doing a little bit of framing upstairs. So we're already underway, and we're ready to hit this thing, and do just a fantastic job for our clients. We're excited."

As part of the expansion of the Elkins facility, an elevator will be installed and the front office area will be completely remodeled.

The expansion project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024 or in early 2025.

The expansion will enable VHC to "accommodate a growing patient population and offer an expanded range of services, including primary care, walk-in appointments, behavioral health services, and more," according to a Valley Health Care press release. "Additionally, the remodeled front office area will streamline administrative processes and improve the overall patient experience from the moment they enter the facility. 

"The addition of an elevator will ensure that all patients, including those with mobility challenges, can easily access the second-floor clinical space without any barriers," the release states. "Throughout the construction process, VHC will take all necessary precautions to minimize disruptions to patient care and ensure a smooth transition to the enhanced facilities."

For more information about Valley Health Care and its services, visit vhcwv.org.