Published: July 10, 2009 07:40 pm      

St. Luke’s renovations begin

BLUEFIELD — Demolition work inside of the former St. Luke’s Hospital in Bluefield is now underway.

The demolition work is the first step in the process of transforming the old hospital into the new Behavioral Health Pavilion of the Virginias, according to regional director Larry Burchfield.

“Right now, all that is happening is the demolition piece is taking place, and that started about two weeks ago,” Burchfield said. “They are moving very quickly on that. Every fixture, every bathroom fixture, every bedroom and every shower will have to be redone with the safety of the patient in mind. It’s going to be a state of the art facility. We hope to be the regional behavioral health entity in this area.”

When the facility opens in March 2010, Burchfield said it will serve both West Virginia and neighboring Virginia.

“We will be accepting patients from both states since we are so close in proximity,” Burchfield said. “We will have 67 beds, and 37 of those will be general adult beds, and 30 will be geriatric beds. Because we have found West Virginia has the oldest population in the nation.”

The existing behavioral health unit at Princeton Community Hospital will be transferred to the new Behavioral Health Pavilion of the Virginias facility when it opens next year. In addition, new staff will be hired for the facility creating new jobs for the community.

“It will create some new positions,” Richard Zborowski, vice president of administration for Princeton Community Hospital, said. “The behavioral unit that is here at the hospital will be transferred over to the psychiatric pavilion, and there is some maintenance positions, some food service positions, and there is some nursing and ancillary positions to support the patient care that will be needed.”

PCH received permission two years ago from the state to convert the old St. Luke’s Hospital into a inpatient behavioral health facility with outpatient behavioral health services.

“There will be a very large comprehensive out-patient center on the first floor,” Burchfield said. “We’ll do what we call structured out-patient programs where an individual can come in and spend four hours a day in a group, and see a doctor to make sure the medications are working fine for them.”

Burchfield said new landscaping and new signage will be completed outside of the old St. Luke’s Hospital. A new fenced and secure courtyard will be constructed in the back area for patients.

“I think we couldn’t have picked a better thing to put in that building than we did since there is such a need for it,” Burchfield said. “It’s terrific for the community. It’s meeting an unmet need. There is definitely a need.”

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com