Published: September 21, 2008 08:44 pm      

PCH’s psychiatric care plans progressing

PRINCETON — Plans are proceeding for the conversion a former Mercer County hospital into a new psychiatric care pavilion offering services to teens and adults.

St. Luke’s Hospital in Bluefield closed April 2007, but the facility’s owner, Princeton Community Hospital, started exploring possible uses for the vacated structure. Hospital officials considered applying to state authorities for permission to convert the former hospital into veterans hospital or an acute care facility, but the decision was later made to open a mental health pavilion.

The West Virginia Health Care Authority approved the plan on Aug. 1. Now plans for the hospital’s reopening are underway.

“It’s a beautiful modern facility,” said Deborah Griffith, vice president of marketing and public relations for PCH. “It does have to undergo renovations to meet the life safety codes for a psychiatric facility, and that will take place over the next few months.”

The completed pavilion will provide mental health services for adults and adolescents with both inpatient and outpatient settings, Griffith said. Ninety-five beds will be available.

Once open, the facility initially employ approximately 100 people, she said. Depending on their skills and background, former St. Luke’s Hospital employees could be considered.

“We expect to be open and treating patients by Spring 2009,” Griffith said. The project’s projected cost is $5,572,000.

West Virginia is currently facing a lack of acute care facilities for addressing mental health problems. State officials have been exploring the idea of creating a new 148 bed mental hospital in or near Beckley or adding beds to existing hospitals. Griffith said such plans were not expected to take away from the St. Luke’s project.

“The service is so desperately needed in the state that I expect all beds would be very readily put to use,” she said.

— Contact Greg Jordan at

gjordan@bdtonline.com