BMH Collaborates with Town of Danville & Community Partners in Development of Former Magic Mart Site
Boone Memorial Hospital (BMH) completed its purchase of the property located at 448 Smoot Avenue, Danville, WV in October 2020. The purchase included the building that formerly housed the Magic Mart department store, which is approximately 45,000 square feet.
BMH is currently in the process of finalizing construction and renovation plans. CEO Virgil Underwood said, “With the acquisition and development of this property, we have an incredible opportunity to continue providing excellent, cost-effective health care from a convenient location while also focusing on population health and prevention.”
As defined by the Centers for Disease Control, “population health” provides an opportunity for health care systems, agencies, and organizations to work together to improve the health outcomes of the communities they serve.
“From this new facility, we look forward to building upon the success of our Healthy Lifestyle, Diabetes Prevention, and FARMacy Programs, and utilizing strategic partnerships to determine the best methods to proactively improve the health and wellness of our community,” said Underwood.
Current plans include, in part, the relocation of the BMH Medical Clinic. Underwood says the move provides an opportunity to rethink the delivery of outpatient care.
“We are confident that the clinic portion of this space will be unlike anything in West Virginia. Through innovation in clinic design and technology, we will deliver compassionate care in an environment that prioritizes patient satisfaction, accessibility, and privacy; facilitates efficiencies in provider and staff workflows; and minimizes patient wait times and aggravation. This will be anything but a run-of-the-mill clinic,” said Underwood.
The property was annexed by the Town of Danville earlier this year with the support of BMH. The annexation allows for the provision of expanded police and fire protection by the Town.
Underwood said, “We are incredibly excited about our partnership with the Town of Danville. We have worked closely with Mayor McClure and the Town Council in identifying our mutual goals and we truly appreciate their willingness to work with us on this important project.”
Mayor of the Town of Danville, Mark McClure, said, “We are thrilled Boone Memorial is joining the Town of Danville. The Town Council and I are ready and willing to assist with any aspect of the project going forward. We support Boone Memorial Hospital and are elated to continue a solid, long lasting partnership, that will positively impact the people of Danville and surrounding communities for years to come.”
BMH has also collaborated with the Boone County Public Service District (PSD) to extend sanitary sewer access to the former Magic Mart building. Last month, the WV Infrastructure & Jobs Development Council (WV IJDC) awarded a $720,000.00 Infrastructure Critical Need grant to the Boone County PSD for completion of the sanitary sewer extension.
“By eliminating the need to upgrade and expand the existing septic/leach field system at the site, the sanitary sewer extension will allow BMH to fully utilize the areas around the building for drive-thru and traffic flow purposes. We are very grateful to the WV IJDC for awarding this grant and to the Boone County PSD for pursuing this project,” said Underwood.
Boone Memorial will announce final plans this summer and is expected to open the new facility in mid-2022. Photos included are proposed renderings of the new BMH facility. Final renderings will be released upon receipt of all necessary approvals.
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