New Warren Memorial Hospital ‘95% complete’ – transfer from North Shenandoah Ave. due in June

In a “Zoom” talk before the Rotary Club of Front Royal April 16, Warren Memorial Hospital President Floyd Heater reported construction of the new $100-million hospital on Leach Run Parkway “95% complete” and a ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for June 8.

Several other community open houses, among those for employees and donors, will be scheduled before and after patients are admitted June 23. By then, hospital departments will be in place (June 16) The emergency department will be operational June 23.

Looking north toward Happy Creek Road and WC Middle School just beyond the hospital, the expansive new WMH campus. Courtesy Photos Valley Health

Already complete and awaiting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspection on the 150-acre site is a helipad, most welcomed by employees of the old hospital site where a stamp-sized parking lot was used for air evacuations. Calling the helipad a “great enhancement,” Heater further remarked, “There’ll be no more moving of cars every time (air evacuations) are necessitated,” with a nod to long-suffering staffers at the old hospital that has been operating at its North Shenandoah Avenue location more than 70 years.

WMH Board Chairman Floyd Heater updated local Rotarians on nearing completion of new hospital with state of the art facilities, if still no Maternity Unit to the displeasure of some county citizens.

Generally, the new $100 million complex is state of the art, while Heater singled out the three operating rooms he said would be “the envy of many other hospitals.” Also, he gave mentions to Front Royal Rotarian Fred Andreae and his family for their contributions to a 2.5 mile wellness and recreation trail on the property, and to members of the public who contributed more than $2.5 million to the Warren Memorial Hospital Foundation capital campaign, including some of the trail costs, a history wall and medical history display, plus a brick paver engraved with the names of brick-buying donors. The bricks will become part of an outdoor patio in the hospital’s courtyard.

Overall, space-wise, employees will have 52,000 more square feet to work in – 177,000 vs 125,000 square feet.

“Taking Health Care to New Heights” is the title of a Valley Health handout, available online, which describes the new hospital and all of its 21^st century features.