New Rural Health Clinic to open at Welch Community Hospital

WELCH, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Department of Health Facilities (DHF) is planning on opening a new Rural Health Clinic (RHC) at Welch Community Hospital.

The clinic will be open from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., seven days a week. There is no need to make an appointment.

A part of the hospital will be renovated for the walk-in clinic staffed by an Advanced Practice Clinician (APC) and Licensed Practical Nurses.

There will be a separate entrance to the clinic, including its own laboratory to reduce wait time for patients. The facility, which has 19 rooms, was also designed to have an Electronic Medical Record system within the clinic.

“Welch Community Hospital is a one-stop shop when it comes to eliminating barriers to care. That is why I am so proud to be able to add on to the critically important work they are doing with this clinic,” said DHF Secretary Michael Caruso.

The clinic will also be beneficial due to the hospital’s Radiology and Respiratory Departments as well as a separate Internal Medicine/Family Practice clinic for future and follow-up visits.

“Patients in rural communities sometimes have to drive two, three hours to access care. I have no doubt of the lives saved by the reduced travel time to our facility,” explained CEO Mark Simpson, MBA/HCM, BSN, RN.

The clinic is a part of the RHC program and helps patients in rural areas to get better access to medical services. RHC programs are required to use physicians working with non-physician providers, which include nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified nurse midwives (CNMs) to provide services.

There will also be a separate Pediatrics clinic within the facility and will be run by a pediatrician or APC. The opening will be late summer or early fall.

To learn more about Welch Community Hospital and its services, visit Welch Community Hospital .

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