Buckhannon says ‘Certificate of Need' repeal will close its hospital
BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said during his State of the State Address Wednesday that he hopes to remove the state's Certificate of Need process, which he says is 'one of the roadblocks to improving our healthcare system,' but the Buckhannon community is urging people to speak out against it, saying it will kill their local hospital.
The Certificate of Need (CON), which has existed in West Virginia since the 1970s, is a review that determines whether a new hospital is necessary and financially feasible, according to the West Virginia Health Care Authority (HCA).
'In West Virginia, the CON program offers some protection for small, often financially fragile, rural hospitals and the underinsured population they serve by promoting the availability and accessibility of services and, to some extent, the financial viability of the facility,' the HCA's website says.
'Help or hurt?': West Virginia health committee debates certificate of need
Morrisey and other legislators in the state argue that removing the CON will give West Virginians access to more personalized healthcare because it will allow more facilities to open without 'red tape.'
For Upshur County specifically, residents think that the change could impact St. Joseph's Hospital in Buckhannon. According to the Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce, St. Joseph's operated under the 'critical access' designation, under which it can't be within 15 miles of another hospital. Without CON, Mon Health will be able to move forward with relocating Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital in Lewis County to the Buckhannon side of Interstate 79 at exit 99, which would put it within 15 miles of St. Joseph's.
Without the 'critical access' designation, St. Joseph's could lose $14 million in revenue, according to the chamber.
'If the Certification of Need legislation is repealed, Buckhannon's more than 100-year-old hospital, WVU Medicine St. Joseph's Hospital, will likely be forced to close,' the chamber said in an email newsletter, urging people to reach out to their legislators.
According to the chamber, leadership teams that represent every hospital in West Virginia, including WVU Medicine and Month Health, as well as the West Virginia Hospital Association, support keeping the CON.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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