Video Transcript
We’ve been here for a long time, watched our neighborhoods grow, and we’ve grown with you. In our darkest moments, we always find the light, hope for the future that we all share. With your courage and the strength of more than 2,500 healthcare professionals: we comfort, we treat, we heal—during these uncertain times and in the brighter days to come. Through it all, we’ll be here, United Hospital Center. This is where healthcare is at its best.
Reaching Another Milestone
Celebrating the 10 Year Anniversary of United Hospital Center in Bridgeport
The history of United Hospital Center (UHC) is built upon growth and innovation. Founded in 1970 by the merger of two historic hospitals—Union Protestant Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital, each uniquely dedicated to the health and wellness of their community—UHC would set out to become the future of healthcare.
Almost immediately UHC began growing, with construction and expansions scheduled for nearly every year of the coming decade. In its first year, UHC set about expanding the north wing of the original Union Protestant Hospital facility, in Clarksburg. This project was followed by the addition of a brand new parking garage, doctor’s office building, special care facility, and a new west wing in the years that followed.
With expanded space came new opportunities for technological growth and the ability to offer new services. The 1980s saw the installation of an in-house CT scanner, a full cardiac catheterization lab, a hemodialysis unit, and a newly renovated wing for psychiatric patients. In 1986, UHC continued to lead in health care innovation by becoming the second hospital in the state of West Virginia to take part in nationally televised medical conferences and seminars via satellite.
UHC dedicated much of the 1990s toward establishing themselves as the leader in health care. After receiving accreditation from the American College of Surgeon’s Commission in January of 1990, UHC would go on to become designated as an Essential Access Community Hospital (EACH), as well. Gaining prominence in 1997, UHC merged with West Virginia University Hospitals to create the West Virginia United Health System (WVUHS), a regional health care network that would allow both hospitals to offer accessible and quality care to patients.
Ever-adapting to the changing landscape of modern health care, UHC entered the early 2000s with plans for a new hospital. Fundraising and construction began shortly after the start of the new millennium, as the foundation was laid for a brand new facility to be built off I-79 on Jerry Dove Drive, in Bridgeport.
On October 3, 2010, ten years after construction began, the doors to the brand new $300 million, state-of-the-art facility were opened. Along with advanced treatment options, upgraded medical equipment, and an extensive catalog of services, the new facility would include a healing garden, modernized patient rooms, and a full-service retail pharmacy—the only one available in the area at that time.
The facility would demonstrate a new tradition of community involvement through the commission and display of paintings by local artists. These pieces would join a collection of artwork donated to UHC across years of operation. Most notable from this collection is The Master Healer, a mural depicting Jesus Christ, first painted by Warner E. Sallman for the original UHC building and then later restored by Igor Shuster after being moved into the new facility.
Visitors can view the entire history of UHC thanks to a permanent installation on display in the new facility. Each step, from humble beginnings to industry leader, can be seen and appreciated through photographs and artifacts. Today, ten years after opening in Bridgeport, UHC continues to deliver innovative and award-winning health care as a Top 100 Hospital in the United States, and the only West Virginia hospital to receive this designation.
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