A symbolic breaking of grounds late Wednesday morning heralded the coming of a major boost in access to health care in St. Clairsville and the surrounding areas of Belmont County.
In what will also serve as a boon for the city itself, an official groundbreaking ceremony was held at the National Road West location of the former site of NAPA Auto Parts, adjacent to Plaza West.
Trinity Health Systems’ Neighborhood Hospital is coming to the county seat, and along with it, another viable healthcare option for residents of Belmont County and beyond.
“We are excited to be here in St. Clairsville,” said Dwayne Richardson, president of Trinity Health System’s Twin City Medical Center in Dennison and now, also of St. Clairsville. “We are excited to offer our services not only to the community that we serve, but we’re excited to expand our ministry as well.
“We have been waiting 2.5 years to do this as a vision and we’re finally changing that vision into a reality.
“We are excited to be here in St. Clairsville. We are excited to offer our services not only to the communities that we serve, but we’re excited to expand our ministry as well,” he said. “We have been waiting 2.5 years to do this as a vision, and we’re finally changing that vision into a reality.”
That vision began back in 2019 when Trinity recognized a need for health care in Belmont County following the closures of both Bellaire Community Hospital and East Ohio Regional Hospital.
Trinity opened its medical plaza at Plaza West to offer primary care facilities, later initially expanding to cardiology and orthopedic offices while also adding laboratory testing, physical therapy, radiology, and respiratory care.
But those initial plans quickly grew, and officials knew more was needed.
That’s why in May of 2022, Trinity officials announced their plans to build a new neighborhood hospital in St. Clairsville.
The plan is to erect a 20,000-square-foot, two-story facility completed with two emergency beds, two operating rooms, inpatient facilities for short-stays, and a helipad, along with opportunities for future growth.
“This is not the culmination, this is just the beginning,” said Trinity Health System’s President and CEO Matt Grimshaw. “We believe this community is poised to thrive.”
Construction to Begin Soon
Construction will begin within the next few weeks along National Road with the project slated to take between 12-16 months.
Then Trinity Health Systems can begin greatly enhancing access to health care in central Belmont County.
“It’s a privilege to make such an investment into your community and to provide health care for your loved ones and your family members,” said Jerry Simpson, Chairman of the Trinity Health System Foundation. “Belmont County, St. Clairsville, welcome to the Trinity Health System Family.”
The Trinity Foundation is the fundraising arm of the health system. It supports the health system by providing funding to ensure the facilities receive the equipment and advancements in technology to allow the staff to continue providing care to the community.
In order to further that mission in St. Clairsville, the foundation is looking to generate funding for the St. Clairsville Neighborhood Hospital.
Foundation Manager Catherine Poludniak too is excited to help service the St. Clairsville community and is already hard at work raising funds to help outfit the facility with state-of-the-art equipment.
To that end, Belmont Savings Bank, represented Wednesday by CEO Todd Cover, has stepped forward as the first donor for the foundation’s efforts.
More are sure to follow, with naming rights for the facility up for grabs, all the way down to brick pavers that will be featured in the front of the facility.
Poludniak noted there will be options available for everybody to be a part of helping support this facility.
The targeted opening is likely in the latter half of 2024. Groundbreaking was initially delayed because of finalizing construction designs and the future installation of a water line capable of properly supplying a facility of this size.
Once Border Patrol LLC finishes its installation of the permanent waterline beneath Interstate 70, construction can begin.
