Our Story
When Boone Memorial first opened its doors in 1964, its leaders dedicated their energies to the philosophy of “People Helping People.” Simply put, the facility was not to be a sterile clinical outpost for the sick and injured; BMH was to play a pivotal role in shaping and bettering the community.
Our dedication to the community began, of course, by providing excellent care to patients, and extended beyond that to patients’ families, employees’ families, and partnering community organizations.
The original team of five physicians and 38 employees has expanded more than five-fold in the last five decades, and their commitment to outreach and community health has experienced similar growth.
Long before professional football and baseball teams wore pink in October to raise breast cancer awareness, BMH launched a local mammography program that made this life saving screening more accessible to the women of Boone County. Today, the hospital continues to offer half-priced mammography screenings available every October.
Years before towns and college campuses started going “smoke free” across the country, Boone Memorial became the first smoke-free hospital in West Virginia, underscoring their dedication to overall health and wellness of the community.
Perhaps most importantly, BMH joined 10 other southern West Virginia healthcare organizations in 1994 to form the Partners in Health Network. Network members work together to initiate a more logical approach to health services delivery, improve the health status of West Virginians, and assure access to essential health services in rural communities.
The Boone Memorial team has long been dedicated to clinical advancement and community service. However, the original hospital had reached the end of its viability in meeting the ever changing advances in technology and healthcare demands of our population.
Hospital and county leaders felt strongly that Boone County citizens and neighboring counties deserved a fresh new hospital. Therefore, they moved forward with plans to construct a $37 million 78,000 square feet hospital. The ground breaking was held in August, 2014 after receiving a 30 year 3.5% USDA loan. The new hospital opened its doors on June 25, 2016.
Designed by BMH employees, physicians and community members, the hospital is a welcoming, patient centric hospital ensuring that departments have adequate space and technology to grow well into the future.
The new hospital has 25 private patient rooms, IV therapy, the latest in radiology and laboratory equipment, physical therapy, black lung center, cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, two new surgery suites plus six additional emergency treatment rooms, and three new triage rooms and more.
Honoring Past Leadership
Tommy H. Mullins
Boone Memorial Administrator | 1968-2014 | 50 Years of Services
Tommy H. Mullins joined staff as a bookkeeper in May of 1964, the same year Boone Memorial opened its doors. He was named CEO in 1968. Mullins received state and national recognition for his leadership. During his tenure, Mullins watched the facility triple in personnel growth and oversaw numerous expansions. Mullins led the process to convert BMH to a 501-c-3 non-profit hospital and helped secure a nearly 32 million dollar loan from the USDA to build a new hospital.
Mullins faced healthcare needs and demands head-on and overcame various challenges to continue providing quality healthcare for the people of Boone County, WV and the surrounding areas. Boone Memorial continued to prosper at times when many rural hospitals closed. Mullins retired in 2014 after 50 years of service. He will be remembered for his dedication to BMH and the community.
Carl F. Cline
Boone Memorial Administrator | 1964-1968
Carl Cline was Boone Memorial’s first Administrator. Mr. Cline was from New Matamoras, Ohio. He received his education from Fairmont State College in WV and worked many years at the Fairmont Clinic and hospital. Mr. Cline was the administrator of several small rural hospitals in West Virginia before going to Point Pleasant Valley Hospital in Point Pleasant, WV where he brought the defunct facility from nearly closing to being a profitable progressive hospital on the verge of expansion.
It was Mr. Cline’s desire to be part of opening a hospital, from its beginning, which became reality in January of 1962 when he was hired by BMH and became Administrator in 1964. His strong leadership continued through his untimely death in 1968. Mr. Cline is forever remembered for his dedication to BMH.
