BUCKHANNON – Community Care of West Virginia plans to start constructing a brand-new four-story building on North Kanawha Street this summer.
Community Care of W.Va. CEO Trish Collett attended the Feb. 15 Buckhannon City Council meeting to present images of the future building and discuss the services available there.
“Community Care of West Virginia started as Tri-County Health Clinic over 40 some years ago in Rock Cave, and we have expanded our footprint over the last several years,” Collett said. “We are excited to unveil our new clinic that we are anticipating starting work on this coming summer, with anticipation of having the project completed in 2026 or 2027.”
Collett said Upshur County is a designated health care provider shortage area, with 1,620 patients per provider, while the state average is 1,270 for one provider. The new building will be called ‘Community Care Buckhannon: Integrated Health and Education Center.’
Community Care of W.Va. is an FQHC or Federally Qualified Health Center.
“The new four-story building will be an integrated system, consisting of an expanded pharmacy with a drive-thru and outpatient lab,” Collett said. “It will continue with outpatient family practice services, behavioral health services, pediatrics and an education center on the fourth floor.”
“Our plan for the Education Center is to help with workforce development and the training of new health care professionals and members of our community,” she added.
Community Care plans to bring in approximately 60 health care professionals who will offer their services at the new building.
“Our new CareXpress facility will stay where it is, and our facility on Main Street will become our administrative offices while the primary care services that are currently offered there will move to the new building,” Collett said. “Pediatrics at Northridge will move over to the new building we currently lease in the space at Northridge, and we will let that lease go as we expand the services into this area.”
The drive-thru for the pharmacy will go around the backside of the building and exit on Spring Street.
“One thing you can’t see that I’m proud of is the New York-style garden gazebo on top of the building, so our employees can go up there for lunch breaks, and we can have different events up there,” Collett said.
City Council member CJ Rylands expressed support for the project and told the Community Care representatives to approach the city for any future needs.
“I think it looks great,” Rylands said. “What a transition from a place that serves alcohol and gambling to health care — not minimalize the social, good things the Moose or any fraternal organizations would do, but I agree there is a shortage of health care, so anything we can do, let us know; I strongly support this.”
City Recorder Randy Sanders said he thought the design of the building was beautiful.
“I also add my congratulations for this; the plans are beautiful and everything you’ve described is going to be just magnificent for the community,” Sanders said. “I support this 100 percent, and I think it’s just a magnificent addition to the Buckhannon skyline – so thank you for bringing this to us.”
Mayor Robbie Skinner, also director of the Upshur County Development Authority, said he was grateful to Community Care and its continued expansion in the area.
“Upshur County continues to be fortunate Community Care calls us home,” Skinner said. “This organization is headquartered in Upshur County, and of those 500 and some employees who work for Community Care in total, about a third or fourth of those employees work right here in Buckhannon and Upshur County,” Skinner said.
“Anytime someone says, ‘Community Care is expanding quickly and they’re taking over things downtown,’ I tell them it’s very positive because that brings jobs, and that brings support for the retail stores and the restaurants in the downtown area.”
