About WVU Healthcare

WVU Healthcare is two corporations, University Health Associates and WVU Hospitals, united by a single mission: To improve the health of West Virginians and all we serve through excellence in patient care, research, and education. Our operations on WVU’s main campus and in the Morgantown region are managed together to ensure patients can receive the same high level of service across all WVU Healthcare facilities.

WVU Healthcare is dedicated:

• to caring for people when they are sick or injured
• to helping people and communities achieve and maintain health
• to educating health professionals
• to searching for better methods of treatment for the causes of human illness

WVU Healthcare includes the teaching hospitals and clinics for WVU’s health professions schools. We are proud to serve patients in Ruby Memorial Hospital – our flagship hospital – and in our state-of the art outpatient clinics. WVU Healthcare offers advanced treatment in a wide variety of medical fields.

In everything we do, care of the patient comes first. Our standard of quality is excellence. The patient is the judge of that quality. It is the responsibility of everyone at WVU Healthcare to see that patients and their families are treated with care and concern at all times.

We're Proud of...

West Virginia’s #1 hospital, among Best Hospitals in the Mountain and Lakes region

 
WVU Healthcare’s WVU Hospitals is the #1 hospital in West Virginia, according to U.S. News & World Report rankings published in July 2012. The rankings are based on patient outcomes, processes of care, and reputation.
 
WVU Hospitals is also among the Best Regional Hospitals, rated as high-performing in 12 areas:

• Cancer
• Cardiology and heart surgery
• Diabetes and endocrinology
• Ear, nose, and throat
• Gastroenterology
• Geriatrics
• Gynecology
• Nephrology
• Neurology and neurosurgery
• Orthopaedics
• Pulmonology
• Urology

Only Magnet Hospital in West Virginia

WVU Hospitals is the only Magnet hospital in West Virginia, according to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). WVU Hospitals received the original award for excellence in nursing services in 2005 and was re-designated in 2009. Hospitals undergo a rigorous reevaluation every four years.
 
The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes healthcare organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing philosophy and practice, adherence to national standards for improving patient care, leadership, and sensitivity to cultural and ethnic diversity. WVU Hospitals is part of an elite group that reflects the excellent work nurses do each day. Magnet designation shows the commitment of WVU Hospitals’ entire staff to serve as a team, providing the highest quality care possible for the people of the Morgantown community and the state of West Virginia.
 
Magnet designation helps consumers locate healthcare organizations that have a proven level of excellence in nursing care. Independent research shows there are clear benefits to hospitals that are awarded Magnet status and to the communities they serve. Magnet-designated facilities consistently outperform other facilities in recruiting and retaining nurses – resulting in increased stability in patient care and positive outcomes. In addition, Magnet-designated facilities have lower mortality rates and shorter lengths of stay. At Magnet facilities, nurses also spend more time at the bedside of patients, and patients report greater satisfaction with their care.

Health Care’s Most Wired

Smart use of technology has earned WVU Healthcare the prestigious Health Care’s Most Wired designation from Hospital & Health Networks magazine, released in July 2012. The annual list recognizes health providers using the most advanced information technology available to deliver excellent care.

Health Care’s Most Wired status is earned by a high level of achievement in four key areas: clinical quality and safety, care continuum, infrastructure, and business and administrative management. The hospitals selected are recognized as true leaders in meaningful use of technology because as information systems improve, so do patient outcomes.

For example, WVU Healthcare’s MyWVUChart offers great convenience for patients and is secure and easy to use. The service is improving patient experiences and engaging them on a new level; it’s offering new opportunities for patients to take an active role in their care. In addition to the benefits of increased safety and accuracy, improved technology is helping target health crises in the region, including diabetes and heart disease. Electronic health records make it easier for clinicians to follow best practice recommendations for screening tests and follow-ups. Merlin, WVU Healthcare’s integrated records system, makes it far easier to track and follow-up with heart failure patients, helping avoid readmissions.

Among AARP’s 50 Best Employers for Workers over 50

WVU Healthcare is among AARP’s 50 Best Employers for Workers Over 50, making the national list six times.

Winners were selected by a panel of judges comprised of private-sector, nonprofit, and government labor experts who reviewed applications. Areas of consideration include recruiting practices; opportunities for training, education, and career development; workplace accommodations; alternative work options, such as flexible scheduling, job-sharing, and phased retirement; employee health; and pension benefits and benefits for retirees.
 
AARP noted some of WVU Healthcare’s specific benefits and positive programs to older workers are free influenza vaccinations, the Wellness Program, discounts at the Medical Center Pharmacy, and the annual Retirement Planning Fair.

American Stroke Association/American Heart Association recognition

The WVU Stroke Center is recognized nationally by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for its commitment to excellence in stroke care. The Stroke Center is a recipient of the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award, the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Silver Plus Performance Achievement Award, and the Target: Stroke Honor Roll.

Stroke patients at WVU receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations. The WVU Stroke Center has an emergency response team available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to evaluate a stroke and perform the appropriate treatment in time to minimize damage to the brain.

Get With The Guidelines is an AHA/ASA quality improvement program that empowers healthcare teams to save lives and reduce healthcare costs by helping hospitals follow evidence-based guidelines and recommendations. To receive the award, the WVU Stroke Center achieved 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Achievement indicators for consecutive 12-month intervals and achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care. The Silver Plus Performance Award means the WVU Stroke Center has maintained 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Achievement indicators for at least twelve months and achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Quality Measures.

“Business on Board with Childcare!” Navigator Award

WVU Healthcare has consistently received the “Business on Board with Childcare!” Navigator Award from the West Virginia KIDS COUNT fund. The award recognizes organizations that have actively developed and maintained a childcare-friendly workplace.
 
The WVU Healthcare Child Development Center (CDC) scholarship program, summer program for school-age children, and drop-in policy are just some of the programs that helped the organization earn this top award. The CDC is dedicated to maintaining a high standard of excellence in early childhood education.
 
The West Virginia KIDS COUNT Fund, a non-profit organization that champions the needs of the state’s youngest children, launched the “Business on Board with Childcare!” award program in 2009 to recognize businesses and organizations that offer childcare-friendly workplace policies and encourage other state employers to follow their lead.

America’s Best Graduate Schools
 
The West Virginia University School of Medicine is rated in the top 10 programs nationwide for rural medicine, tying at number nine, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 rankings. Other WVU School of Medicine programs had notable rankings: primary care at 52, physical therapy at 63, research at 86, and occupational therapy at 116. The medical school rankings are based on ratings by medical school deans and senior faculty in the nation’s 126 accredited medical schools and 23 accredited schools of osteopathic medicine.
 
In addition, the WVU School of Pharmacy is tied at No. 26 on the list of best pharmacy schools in the country, while the WVU School of Nursing is ranked at No. 99. The School of Pharmacy’s No. 26 ranking among 124 schools of pharmacy is a significant jump from its 2008 rank (the last time pharmacy schools were rated).

All WVU health sciences faculty invest their time, energy, and talent to raise the academic reputation of their schools to ensure that students receive the highest quality education, and our mission to serve the state of West Virginia is fulfilled. Located on the WVU Healthcare campus, the educational facilities are an integral part of the organization’s dedication to teaching healthcare professionals.