New Cancer Center Breaks Ground In Rural West Virginia

Petersburg, WV – Nearly 84,000 West Virginians live in the five-county Potomac Highlands region. Patients battling cancer in this region are often burdened with a 90-minute drive down two-lane roads, across rivers, and over mountains to access life-saving chemotherapy services. For some patients, the burden becomes too much and the journey too difficult. They halt their cancer care and hope for the best. Convenient access to cancer care is one reason that cancer mortality in West Virginia is 12% above the national average. That is about to change for the Potomac Highlands, thanks to Grant Memorial Hospital.
When I became the CEO in August 2018, I asked where do patients go for cancer care? Learning that people had to drive long distances for care and treatments was just not acceptable to me, so I began the conversation envisioning a cancer center right here at Grant Memorial Hospital. — Bob Milvet, CEO, Grant Memorial Hospital

This vision is soon to become a reality. In January, Grant Memorial Hospital broke ground on a multi-phased project to bring a new oncology infusion center to the region. The nine-patient infusion center will include its own dedicated entrance allowing separation of the immune-compromised patients undergoing therapy from the general hospital patients and visitors, enabling life-saving cancer care to continue uninterrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic and any pandemic that may follow. The infusion center will offer state-of-the-art services in an environment affording cancer patients an experience on-par with some of the world’s most respected cancer centers. A pharmacy will be on-site to prepare medications for patients’ specific needs.

Grant Memorial Hospital partnered with Kahler Slater, an award-winning, nationally recognized architectural and planning firm to design the project. Howard Shockey & Sons of Winchester, VA is the Construction Manager.

“Shockey is proud to be helping Grant Memorial bring first-class cancer treatment options closer to where people need them most – near their homes. We understand the challenges associated with cancer treatment in rural communities; it’s especially rewarding when our medical building team can meaningfully and immediately contribute to the health of so many,” said Jeff Boehm, President of Shockey.

In addition to the Cancer Center, a new pharmacy will be constructed in the location of the existing Special Care Unit. This unit, which is currently separated from other inpatient bedrooms, will be integrated into the existing inpatient wing with four new state-of-the-art patient rooms. Relocating the Special Care Unit to the inpatient wing allows for nursing staff and doctors to operate more efficiently and collaborate more easily while improving the patient and family experience.

Note to media: Due to COVID-19, no formal ground-breaking or public celebration is currently planned. 

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About Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc.

Shockey is a provider of general contracting, design-build, and construction management services for public and private sector clients in Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia. Shockey’s reputation, earned one project at a time, is for delivering excellent value, high-quality craftsmanship, and unbeatable integrity. Consistently ranked among the mid-Atlantic’s largest contractors, Shockey specializes in education, senior living, healthcare, commercial, parking, and industrial projects. Shockey is the Partner of Choice ®. Visit ShockeyBuilds.com to learn more.

About Kahler Slater
Through architecture, interior design, environmental branding, and strategic advisory services, Kahler Slater’s work enriches life and achieves powerful results. Kahler Slater utilizes design solutions as catalysts for helping their clients reach their strategic goals for advancing their organizations. With offices in Milwaukee and Madison, Wis.; Chicago, IL.; Richmond, Va.; Singapore, and leadership presence in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Savannah, Ga.; and San Francisco, Calif.; Kahler Slater’s projects span across North America and into Asia. Their team includes marketplace experts in healthcare, higher education, corporate, living environments, hospitality, sports, and wellness. Learn more at www.kahlerslater.com.