Ground will be broken in the next few months for the new Mon Harrison Neighborhood Hospital in Bridgeport, according to Mon Health President and CEO David Goldberg and Executive Vice President of Vandalia Health.

 

The news will be welcome for those concerned with the progress of the facility after Goldberg appeared in front of the Harrison County Commission and Bridgeport City Council in July to talk about the $22.5 million project. During those meetings, Goldberg said ground would be broken that year. While that did not happen, Goldberg said it is definitely happening this year – and soon.

 

“We actually have gone out to bid and have chosen a construction company,” said Goldberg. “We’re doing our site due diligence right now.”

 

The site in Bridgeport is at Charles Pointe Crossing. That is the same development that is home to the new Menards. The Mon Harrison Neighborhood Hospital will be adjacent to the new Menards.

 

Goldberg did not name the construction company as the contracts have yet to be formally signed. He said that West Virginia labor and West Virginia organizations will be used during the construction process.

 

Mon Harrison Neighborhood Hospital is expected to be complete by the end of 2025. The building, which will have a similar format to the Hospital at Middletown Commons, but will take a bit longer to complete than that facility.

 

“In Bridgeport we’re coming out of the ground where in Whitehall we essentially had four walls to start within an old building,” said Goldberg. “That reduced our costs and our timeline by going into an established dwelling as opposed to starting from scratch.”

 

The good news is that Goldberg said barring unforeseen problems, they not only expect to beat the timeline, but believe they can bring the project in under budget. He also said the project is the same as announced in 2023, which is part of the state-approved Certificate of Need (CON) that allows for medical facilities.

 

The building, which will be 20,000 square feet, will feature 24/7 emergency care, board certified physicians, comprehensive inpatient care, pharmacy services, and inpatient and outpatient radiology services such as CT scans, ultrasounds, MRI, echoes, x-rays and more.

 

“We’re bringing a full array of medical capabilities to Mon Harrison,” said Goldberg.

 

There will also be 10 private rooms and eight emergency bays or rooms. The building will have a hospital on one side and an emergency department on the other. There will be three entrances with a lobby entrance for the hospital, a lobby entrance for the emergency room, and an EMS entrance.

 

While the amount of usage is hard to forecast, Goldberg believes it will have similar success and maybe even more than Mon Marion. He said the past year proved to be a busy one in Marion County.

 

“We saw more than 15,000 ER visits. That’s about 40 visits a day,” said Goldberg. “We are still continuing to see strong numbers there, and we see patients admitted who may eventually see one of our providers or a provider at another facility. It’s gone extremely well.”

 

Goldberg pointed out that nearby United Hospital Center is “one of the busiest if not the busiest emergency departments in the state,” and the Mon Harrison presence will help provide additional health care for Harrison County, parts of southern Marion County, and parts of Taylor County.

 

“A person’s emergency is our emergency, and you want as much service and as many facilities in place to meet those needs in a timely manner with quality patient-centered service,” said Goldberg.

 

One thing Goldberg mentioned during his July meetings in the county was the possibility of expansion. The acreage at Charles Pointe Crossing allows for that, but it does not guarantee it.

 

“It is going to come down to the needs of the community,” said Goldberg. “We have the ability to grow with the community, and we will be set up to do that.”

 

Goldberg expects the construction contract to be signed shortly. He said that will be followed by acquiring the necessary building permit from the City of Bridgeport and that all guidelines, including successful regulatory inspections from every level of government, will be followed.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows David Goldberg last July addressing the Harrison County Commission, while a conceptual drawing of the Mon Harrison Neighborhood Hospital is shown below.