CUMBERLAND, Md., April 24, 2020 – Though the logistics of the timeline remain to be finalized, UPMC Western Maryland announced today the intent to reopen Hunt Club Urgent Care in May. The recently filed Certificate of Need (CON) application by UPMC Western Maryland did not face any opposition during the time frame allotted by the West Virginia Health Care Authority.

“I am thrilled that UPMC Western Maryland will be able to resume urgent care services in Mineral County within the next few weeks,” said Barry Ronan, UPMC Western Maryland President. “Many of our patients from Short Gap, Ridgeley and Fort Ashby had transitioned their care to UPMC Western Maryland’s Advanced Medical Care in South Cumberland, however, we have heard constantly from many of our patients asking about the reopening of Hunt Club. I am pleased that we will be able to again meet their urgent care needs a little closer to home.”

UPMC Western Maryland filed the CON in early March with the intent to reopen Hunt Club within 60 days of its application. Western Maryland Health System (now UPMC Western Maryland) had successfully operated the Hunt Club Urgent Care for 28 years but was forced to close the facility in late January because it lacked a CON required by the state of West Virginia.

Last summer, UPMC Western Maryland learned that a required CON did not exist for the Hunt Club Urgent Care facility since the physicians, who were the initial owners of the facility, were not required to file a CON. UPMC Western Maryland promptly self-reported to the West Virginia Health Care Authority and filed a CON application for the Hunt Club location. Subsequent to the filing, Potomac Valley Hospital/WVU Medicine filed as an interested party. This filing resulted in UPMC Western Maryland withdrawing its application because of the delay that would result in finalizing its integration with UPMC.

Hunt Club Urgent Care was established 33 years ago by former Memorial Hospital Emergency Department physicians, Dr. Nick Casto and Dr. John Stansbury. Memorial Hospital purchased Hunt Club Urgent Care in 1992, and it then became part of Western Maryland Health System in 1996. Both physicians continued to serve at the urgent care facility until their subsequent retirements in 2013 and 2016, respectively. UPMC Western Maryland then assumed operations of the facility in order to continue urgent care services to residents of Mineral County, WV, and the surrounding region.