Orchard Park Hospital, a 30-bed inpatient pediatric psychiatric hospital in Wheeling, West Virginia, has signed a letter of intent to merge with WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, the hospitals announced in late February.
Wheeling Hospital is a 225-bed acute care Catholic facility that is part of WVU Medicine, also known as West Virginia University Health System.
Orchard Park opened in 2023 and offers inpatient mental health services for children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 from West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. As part of the merger, Wheeling Hospital will work with WVU Medicine Golisano Children's and the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.
"The vision of WVU Medicine is to transform lives and eliminate health disparities, including access to care," Douglass Harrison, president and CEO of Wheeling Hospital, said in a statement. "Through this partnership, Wheeling Hospital and Orchard Park Hospital will continue providing this very critical health care service to children and families in the Upper Ohio Valley and beyond."
Jacquelyn Knight, Orchard Park Hospital CEO, said in a statement that the partnership "opens the door to new resources, broader expertise, and the ability to serve even more families through affiliation with a comprehensive medical facility."
Orchard Park Hospital will operate under the same rules and regulations as Wheeling Hospital, including Wheeling's Catholic identity agreement. The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston sponsors Wheeling Hospital.