Health Care Reform Informational Forum

  

Expanding Our Community Healthcare

Congratulations Raleigh General Hospital and Thank You for Touching Our Lives

Click here to see coverage by The Register-Herald

Eighth Edition Beckley Treasured Scenes Tree Ornaments Now Available

Ornaments can be purchased for $10.00 each, and are available now at The Chamber of Commerce Office.  For more information call; 304-252-7328, 1-877-987-3847, or email; chamber@brccc.com


Building a Better West Virginia Through Volunteer Service

Volunteers attend Beckley Business Volunteer Luncheon from all over Southern WV to learn how they can better serve their businesses and communities

Luncheon presented by

WV Business Volunteer Council, A Program of Volunteer West Virginia, the state’s Commission of National & Community Service

Thank You Beckley Business Volunteerism Luncheon Sponsors

Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce

Beckley Area Foundation

Appalachian Power

City National Bank

Verizon

First Community Bank

Mountain State University

United Bank

Verizon

Thank You First Lady, Gayle Manchin, for speaking to us on the importance of volunteerism

Thank You Dawn Dayton (Beckley Newspapers, The Register-Herald) for your experience with volunteerism

Thank You Sherrie Hunter (Raleigh County Solid Waste Authority) for encouraging us to continue to volunteer in our community

Thank You “Curby” (Charlie Houck) for moving to our community from California to teach everyone in Southern WV how to be better volunteers

As the country faces serious economic challenges, many community organizations and nonprofits are relying more heavily on volunteers than ever before.  Volunteers are often vital to the survival of these organizations and nonprofits around West Virginia. Organizations like yours are also recognizing the importance of corporate community involvement which goes much deeper than financial contributions within the community. This kind of involvement is “people power” involvement through volunteerism.

Marketing research has shown the public image benefits of volunteerism are priceless for business.  Communities thrive when every sector – government, private, and nonprofit – does its part, making communities better places to live, work, and do business.

Find out how you can help build a better WV through your volunteer service at Volunteer WV



BECKLEY APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HOSPITAL OPENS NEW PEDIATRIC UNIT 

The new unit will provide children an environment that adheres to the high standards of patient safety and satisfaction found at Beckley ARH as well as creating a wonderful place to heal.  The unit will bring a new generation of patients to Beckley ARH, which has put a major focus on expanding its children’s health services.  www.arh.org/beckley



RALEIGH GENERAL HOSPITAL EMERGENCY SERVICES EXPANSION COMPLETE 

By Fred Pace, Register-Herald reporter -

As the health care world has evolved, so have many hospitals — including local facility.  Raleigh General Renovations Complete.

In 1973, hospitals were built for in-patient services, according to Karen Bowling.

Bowling, president and chief executive officer of Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, says back then, nobody could even begin to imagine all of the modern medical technology that would come.

“Today there are so many things that can be done on an outpatient basis,” she said. “As the health care world has evolved, so have many hospitals.”

By adding additional facilities and modern, high-tech equipment, Raleigh General is now able to accommodate more outpatient services with the latest medical technologies.

“We wanted to be more efficient,” she said.

When hospital officials made a commitment to the upgrade project, the building was inspected and ideas were proposed, Bowling said.

“We wanted to see what we could do to modernize and still provide quality health care in the right kind of environment,” she explained.

Bowling says new computers, cables and equipment were all part of the upgrade and renovation project.

“The high-tech generation has done a lot for health care,” she said.

Most of the operating rooms, radiology department and endoscopy area at the hospital were all too small, according to Bowling.

“We embarked on a journey to construct a new portion while renovating existing parts of the hospital,” she said.

This was all done while the hospital remained open.

“It was challenging, to say the least,” Bowling said.

The first phase was a build-on that included four new operating rooms and support space for those rooms.

“They were to replace our four small operating rooms,” she said.

An area in back of the hospital building was selected for the new construction.

“We wanted to keep it connected to what was the current operating room at the time,” she said. “We wanted it big enough to handle all the latest equipment.”

Once the four new operating rooms were built, a renovation project with the old rooms began.

“The disruptive part of the process was when we moved inside the building to renovate in the existing space.”

Bowling said the hospital’s entire staff was key to the successful transition.

“I can’t say enough good things about the staff,” she said. “It was all of them taking a team approach and a positive attitude that made it work so well.”

Bowling said everyone knew what the outcome would bring.

“This upgrade and renovation project provided a better work environment for our employees, a better place for our physicians to provide care to our patients and an enhanced service for our community,” she said. “Because everybody kept their eyes on the goal, that made the transition feel easier than what it actually was, because it was challenging.”

The total project took two years to complete, with the first year being mostly the build-on of the four new operating rooms.

“It’s really been in the last year that we have had the opportunity to work in the existing renovated space,” Bowling said.

The $18 million project is part of a larger overall upgrading process that has been going on for the past several years, Bowling said.

“This was a very significant investment into the hospital, and we needed it.”

The hospital also has a new special procedures laboratory, patient waiting and recovery area, and various other upgrades in facilities and equipment.

“We are all becoming ‘techies,’” said Debra Johnson, director of the OR at the hospital.

Dr. Brian Whyte, a vascular surgeon at RGH, said the hospital must continue with upgrading to the latest in modern medical technology.

“Brilliant medical advances have been made and the hospital must keep up with these new medical procedures and equipment so that it can continue to be a viable medical center for the community for many years to come,” he said. “So continuing to upgrade is almost a necessity.”

Bowling said for those who haven’t seen the new facilities and equipment, it’s pretty amazing.

“It looks like stuff you see at the big centers across the country,” she said. “It’s was very nicely done.”

For more information visit Raleigh General Hospital



7TH EDITION TREASURED SCENES TREE ORNAMENTS NOW AVAILABLE