Tag: Princeton Community Hospital

Ex-West Virginia Cabinet Secretary Named Hospital Chief

A former cabinet secretary in West Virginia has been named president and CEO of Princeton Community Hospital.

Karen Bowling currently serves as West Virginia University Health System’s executive vice president of government affairs, as well as president and CEO of WVU Medicine’s Braxton County Memorial Health System and Summersville Regional Medical Center.

Princeton Community Hospital entered into a management agreement and clinical affiliation with WVU Hospitals in December. It has 203 beds serving 10 counties in southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia. It also provides behavioral health services as well as a 64-bed psychiatric hospital in Bluefield, and emergency care at the former Bluefield Regional Medical Center.

Bowling served as cabinet secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources under Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.

“You would be hard pressed to find someone as dedicated to the people of West Virginia, especially those in the southern part of the state, as Karen Bowling,” WVU Health System President and CEO Albert L. Wright Jr. said in a statement. “Her passion is contagious and her efforts to improve patients’ access to healthcare are tireless.”

Princeton Community Hospital, Bluefield State College Join to Help Improve Healthcare Shortage in Region

Princeton Community Hospital in Mercer County is hoping an agreement with a local college will help support more training for new nurses and address the healthcare shortage in the region.

Bluefield State College (BSC) is purchasing the former site of Bluefield Regional Medical Center (BRMC) and the surrounding 68 acres.

Bluefield State came to agreement with Princeton Community Hospital on Monday. The hospital acquired the medical center in October 2019 and has continued to offer some medical services from there.

According to a release from Bluefield State, the college plans to lease portions of the facilities to PCH. The hospital will maintain the Emergency Division and related medical services.

Bluefield State plans to expand course offerings in health science programs, and provide more student housing.

Meanwhile, just last week the West Virginia University Health System announced an agreement between Princeton Community and WVU Hospitals. The hospital entered into a management agreement and clinical affiliation with WVU Hospitals, the state’s largest health system.

It’s not clear what the WVU agreement with Princeton Community Hospital will mean for Bluefield State College.

Princeton Hospital Hit by Ransomware Attack

The FBI is investigating the hacking of the computer system at a West Virginia hospital.

Employees at Princeton Community Hospital were hit by a ransomware attack Tuesday morning and were unable to access files. It is unclear if patient records were compromised.

Hospital spokesman Rick Hypes says the hospital has established protocols for situations in which the computer system cannot be accessed, which ensured a continuation of patient care.

PCH vice president Rose Morgan says nothing is yet known about the origin of or reason for the disruption, but the hack was from an outside source. She said no one has contacted the hospital related to the hacking, which prompted users to recover files by purchasing a decryption key for $300 in virtual currency.

Princeton Man Charged with Hitting Firefighter with Vehicle

A Princeton man has been charged with intentionally hitting a volunteer firefighter with his vehicle.

Media outlets report that West Virginia State Police charged 54-year-old Jeffery Lanford with unlawful wounding and leaving the scene of injury. Lanford turned himself in last week and was released on bond.

Trooper P.M. Hephner says East River Volunteer Fire Department firefighter Aaron Beeman was directing traffic during icy road conditions when he was struck by a vehicle on December 18. Beeman was treated at Princeton Community Hospital and released.

Authority OKs New Cardiac Services at Princeton Hospital

State regulators have approved Princeton Community Hospital’s request to develop diagnostic cardiac catheterization services.

The hospital recently received a certificate of need from the West Virginia Health Care Authority for the project.

Dr. Wallace Horne tells the Bluefield Daily Telegraph that offering the services in Princeton will give patients more options. He says market information shows that patients in Mercer County go to hospitals in Bluefield, Charleston and Roanoke, Virginia, for cardiac diagnostic and treatment catheterization services.

Princeton Community Hospital’s project doesn’t include angioplasty or stents. Horne says the hospital could apply for another certificate of need to offer these services if there’s a medical need in the community.

Exit mobile version