BATTLE FOR HEARTS GOES ON - Opponents Become Friends In Parkersburg-Charleston

(04/26/2002)

After Parkersburg's two hospitals failed to move forward with cardiac surgery units, St. Jospeh Hospital and Charleston Area Medical Center have reached an "open heart center" agreement which will bring services to Parkersburg within nine months. The administration of Camden-Clark Hospital said they were unaware St. Joseph no longer wanted to work with them. Spokesperson Greg Smith said "We were stunned." Charleston Area Medical Center has one of the highest-volume cardiac surgery units in the country, about 2,300 cases a year. Cardiac surgery is the highest income-producing unit in hospitals. In West Virginia, movement has been to bring such units to communities beyond Charleston.

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