Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of articles about changes at Davis Health System.

ELKINS — Davis Health System’s joining Vandalia Health averted a potential financial crisis for DHS, officials said.

Interim DHS President Mark Doak told The Inter-Mountain there were concerns about the “financial viability” of DHS prior to joining Vandalia in 2023.

“Davis had a bad year in 2022 and 2023, and in 2024 we’re not going to be where we’d like to be, but we’re making progress on that,” Doak said. “That has been the benefit of Vandalia, that they have continued to invest in Davis, and given us the time and ability to make the transition from Point A to Point B.

“Quite honestly, if not for Vandalia, at this point in time, Davis would be in a very difficult position to make that transition. But they have stepped forward. They’ve helped us. I think we’re doing a lot of things right. We’re getting to where we need to be.”

DHS is now becoming financially stable, and Davis Medical Center is in no danger of closing, David Goldberg, Vandalia Health Executive Vice President, CEO North Region, told The Inter-Mountain.

“The first theme is, change is hard, but it’s inevitable. Second is, we’re here for the long run. We want to make really good investments in our people, in our buildings, in our programs and our technologies, so that care can stay local,” Goldberg said.

“Quality continues to be our focus, the patient experience. We’re focused heavily on the emergency department. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We need to make sure your emergency is our emergency. We need to get you in, get you seen in a timely manner. We get you taken care of, and then we move you through, whether it’s to a bed, back to your home, or to higher-level care.

“The other area where we’re trying to improve is through-point, and timeliness, to get you into an office, to get into your x-ray, to get into your CAT scan,” Goldberg said. “We’ve reduced some barriers that we believe were in place before, to improve process. So that phone call that comes in should be acted on quicker, to get you for that elective scheduling of an appointment. So we’re watching that pretty closely.”

Goldberg also said DHS will be adding more doctors and more services for patients.

“We’re hiring. We’re recruiting urology, we’re recruiting more general surgery. We want to make sure we have the right balance of primary care,” he said.

“We’re going to be opening up what’s called a telemedicine hub. We have a lot of people around the state who are scared to come to the city for specialists. So we’re going to build hubs where you walk into a room, there will be a big screen on the wall, there will be a blood pressure cup and other minimal devices, and on the screen is the endocrinologist who looks at the blood levels, and says, ‘I see X, Y and Z, we’re going to put you on medicine, I’m going to coordinate with your primary care doc tor. I’ll see you in six months.’

“We’re going to do that here so you don’t have to drive up to Harrison County of Monongalia County, or drive down to Kanawha County to see an endocrinologist,” Goldberg said. “We’re going to be opening a telemedicine hub here, permanently, on the campus. So the specialists we don’t have, you will still have access to here.”

In February 2023, it was announced that Davis Health System would join CAMC Health System and Mon Health System as part of Vandalia Health.

The combined health system is the second largest not-for-profit integrated health system in West Virginia. It includes more than 180 outpatient care locations, more than 70 specialties, and employs nearly 13,000 staff and providers.

Davis Health System includes Davis Medical Center in Elkins, Broaddus Hospital in Philippi, and Webster Memorial Hospital in Webster Springs. DHS employs nearly 1,000 healthcare professionals, according to the system’s LinkedIn page.

Mon Health System and Charleston Area Medical Center Health System merged in September of 2022 to form Vandalia Health.