Vandalia Health celebrates grand opening of Mon Harrison Neighborhood Hospital

Vandalia Health leaders joined elected officials, community partners, physicians, staff and supporters Tuesday to celebrate the grand opening of Vandalia Health Mon Harrison Neighborhood Hospital, a new $26 million hospital expanding access to emergency and inpatient care in Harrison County.

Located at Charles Pointe Crossing in Bridgeport, the two-story, approximately 38,000-square-foot hospital will begin serving patients Sept. 29. Mon Harrison is designed to provide convenient access to hospital care close to home.

“Mon Harrison represents an important new chapter for Vandalia Health in Harrison County and another significant investment in the healthcare infrastructure of north-central West Virginia,” said Krystal Atkinson, DNP, RN, CNOR, Chief Administrative Officer of Vandalia Health Mon Medical Center and Senior Vice President of Vandalia Health. “We are proud to open these doors and build upon the care we already provide throughout Harrison County by bringing 24/7 emergency care, inpatient services and advanced diagnostics directly to the Bridgeport community.”

The opening marks the culmination of more than four years of planning, partnership and construction. Mon Health System began the formal process of bringing a neighborhood hospital to Bridgeport in July 2022 with the filing of a Certificate of Need. The project moved forward through extensive collaboration among Vandalia Health, local and state leaders and community partners.

Vandalia Health leaders extended special thanks to Jamie and Jennifer Corton and Genesis Partners for their support of the project, including the donation of the land for the hospital at Charles Pointe Crossing. Their contribution helped provide a home for Mon Harrison and supported the continued development of healthcare services in the growing Bridgeport community.

Vandalia Health leaders also recognized the City of Bridgeport, Harrison County Commission and Tax Increment Financing district stakeholders whose collaboration helped move the project forward, along with the elected officials, community and business leaders, donors and supporters who championed the hospital throughout its development.

March-Westin served as general contractor for the project, working alongside health-focused architectural firm PhiloWilkie and Vandalia Health facilities and project teams to bring the hospital from concept to completion.

Mon Harrison features a full-service emergency department open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with eight treatment rooms and board-certified physicians. The hospital also includes 10 private inpatient rooms for short-stay hospital care and advanced diagnostic capabilities including CT, MRI, ultrasound and X-ray, along with on-site laboratory services.

The hospital's second floor provides space for future clinical expansion as the healthcare needs of Harrison County and surrounding communities continue to grow.

“Mon Harrison not only represents an investment in a building and healthcare, but a investment in the long-term strength and vitality of Harrison County,” said Ron Stovash, Chairman of the Vandalia Health Board of Directors. “This is a proud day for Vandalia Health, Harrison County, and everyone who helped make Mon Harrison Neighborhood Hospital a reality. Today, we are excited to open its doors with gratitude and begin a new chapter of serving this community with care close to home.”

Mon Harrison is modeled after Vandalia Health Mon Marion Neighborhood Hospital in White Hall, which has demonstrated the ability of the neighborhood hospital model to provide quality hospital care in a smaller, accessible setting.

Experience gained through Mon Marion, which opened in 2021, helped inform the development of Mon Harrison — from hospital operations and patient flow to the delivery of emergency and short-stay care. Mon Marion has received national recognition for its efficiency, including recognition by Becker's Hospital Review as one of 12 hospitals in the country with the shortest emergency department visit times.

For Christopher Edwards, DO, Chief Administrative Officer of Vandalia Health Mon Harrison and Mon Marion Neighborhood Hospitals, the opening carries additional significance as a Harrison County native.

“Having the opportunity to help bring this hospital to Harrison County is incredibly meaningful,” Edwards said. “We have taken what we've learned through the success of Mon Marion and used that experience to build a hospital designed around the needs of this community. In an emergency, time matters, and having emergency care, advanced imaging, laboratory services and inpatient capabilities together in one location allows our team to quickly evaluate patients, make a diagnosis and begin the appropriate treatment.”

As part of Vandalia Health, physicians and clinical teams at Mon Harrison will also be able to consult with specialists and experts across the health system while patients are at the hospital. When additional specialty services or a higher level of care is needed, patients can be connected with appropriate specialists and advanced services throughout Vandalia Health.

“Being part of Vandalia Health allows a hospital like Mon Harrison to remain deeply connected to the community it serves while having the resources, technology and expertise of a much larger health system behind it,” said Jeff Sandene, President and CEO of Vandalia Health. “Across our system, we continue to invest in hospitals and clinical infrastructure, advanced technology, new treatment options and telehealth capabilities that help connect patients with the care they need. Mon Harrison becomes another important part of that connected network and another way we can bring quality care closer to home.”

Vandalia Health's investment in Mon Harrison comes amid continued growth and investment across north-central West Virginia, including a new infusion center and expanded clinical space at Vandalia Health Mon Preston Memorial Hospital, continued infrastructure and technology investment at Vandalia Health Mon Medical Center and the recent addition of Vandalia Health Grafton Hospital to the health system.

“We are grateful to the many community partners who shared our vision for expanding healthcare access in Harrison County and helped make this hospital possible,” Atkinson said. “Most importantly, we are proud of the physicians, nurses and team members who will now carry that vision forward by caring for the patients and families who walk through these doors.”

Following Tuesday's grand opening ceremony, Vandalia Health leaders and community partners officially commemorated the opening with a ribbon cutting and tours of the new hospital.

Related Physicians

• Edwards, Christopher, DO