Valley Health Warren Memorial Hospital Dedicates, Celebrates Its New Health-Inspiring Home

Photos by Nick Crettier Photography. Please note - Persons fully vaccinated were not required to wear masks during the June 8 Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Event. This is in accordance with federal and state guidelines that apply until the facility becomes the official hospital on June 23.

Valley Health and community leaders gathered Tuesday, June 8, to dedicate the new $100 million Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal. The replacement facility will open at 6 a.m. on June 23, at 351 Valley Health Way, Front Royal, VA 22630.

The three-story hospital with adjoining medical building commands a 28-acre developed campus on a slope with stunning views of the Shenandoah Valley, offering a refreshing patient-centered environment for wellness and healing.

“This is an exciting day for Valley Health, but, more importantly, for residents of the Front Royal-Warren County area,” said Valley Health President and CEO Mark Nantz. “I commend the Valley Health Board of Trustees for their commitment to invest in this site and this remarkable, technologically-advanced facility, and I thank all who have supported our efforts to reach this point. We look forward to many more years of serving our community by improving health from this inspiring location.”

The facility reflects 21st-century priorities on patient privacy, greater patient and family involvement in healthcare, and convenient access to providers and outpatient services. The clean, uplifting design capitalizes on available light and outdoor views and features abundant parking and room to expand on the 150-acre site.

“We are grateful for this extraordinary opportunity to ‘take healthcare to new heights,’ said Warren Memorial Hospital President Floyd Heater. “While a new building and state-of-the-art equipment alone cannot guarantee excellent healthcare, I’m confident the form and function of this beautiful, calming space will support our phenomenal team and maximize outcomes and healing for all who come here for care.”

The new hospital has 36 private inpatient rooms, each with a view, accommodations for a visitor, and bathroom with wheelchair-accessible shower. For more acutely ill patients, 12 Critical Care Step-down rooms will accommodate staff and equipment to monitor and support care. A well-equipped inpatient rehab gym will help expedite recovery through physical and occupational therapy.

The 18-bed Emergency Department is larger and more welcoming for EMS crews and waiting families. It has a decontamination area, two trauma rooms with space for equipment and multiple staff, rooms equipped for bariatric and behavioral health patients, a dedicated imaging suite, and adjoining 5-bed Clinical Decision Unit. A helipad expedites Medevac support for rapid emergency care.

Surgical Services boasts three spacious operating suites, two endoscopy rooms, a cardiac catheterization lab, larger pre- and post-op patient staging areas, and a dedicated family waiting room with a view.

All of the new hospital’s clinical support services – from the laboratory to cardiopulmonary rehabilitation to medical imaging -- have space and equipment to better support patients and staff, improve efficiency and quality, and provide needed diagnostic and rehab services locally.

Robert Meltvedt, MD, WMH Vice President of Medical Affairs, has practiced general surgery in the community for 24 years and expressed the anticipation shared by many of his colleagues: “With beauty and light and a healing environment we welcome our new home to bring the best and latest innovations in health care to Warren County,” Dr. Meltvedt said.

“Wired” for Efficiency, Safety, Patient Experience

The new hospital incorporates technologies that support quality care, safety and efficiency, from an interdepartmental pneumatic tube network that delivers medications, specimens and documents, to a patient call system that alerts the appropriate team member’s portable phone. A new monitoring system sends a screenshot of patient vitals and key data to the nurse’s phone. And MyChart Bedside offers hospitalized patients access to a tablet and smart TV to facilitate sending and receiving messages with the care team, accessing test results and education materials, choosing meals, streaming favorite shows, playing games or listening to music.

Primary and Specialty Care Providers Next Door

The new Medical Building adjoining the hospital will be home to more than 50 healthcare providers, offering patients and providers convenient access to hospital services. Front Royal Family Practice will relocate to Level Three of the new building on June 25. Orthopedic staff will relocate June 26, and other Multispecialty Clinic providers -- cardiology general surgery, pulmonary medicine, urology and vascular surgery – will occupy Level Two on July 16.

New Services

A new Physical Therapy & Sports Performance Department has certified staff and specialized equipment to help patients increase strength and mobility after surgery or injury, athletes gain a competitive edge, and anyone wanting to build stamina and improve conditioning, including “tactical athletes” needing conditioning for jobs in construction, firefighting, law enforcement or the military.

Valley Pharmacy has opened a retail location at the new hospital, located off the main lobby on Level 2. A “Meds-to-Beds” program offers the convenience of direct delivery of medications (and education) to patient’s hospital room before discharge. Staff and community members will also have access to the full-service pharmacy, over-the-counter medications and other products on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Community Support

Floyd Heater, Vice President, Valley Health Southern Region; President, Warren Memorial Hospital, talks with Christine and Fred Andreae

In addition to facilities and services to treat illness, injury and disease, the new hospital campus is intended to be a source of community health and wellness. Through the philanthropy of local residents Fred and Christine Andreae, a 2.5-mile hiking trail was created behind the hospital, offering a recreational destination with a view for patients, family members, staff members, and the community. The trail is suitable for all ages and ability levels, with an average grade of 7-8%, rest areas, and lower and upper overlooks of Front Royal, the Skyline Drive, and Signal Knob. Another ¼-mile spur connects to the neighboring Warren County Middle School.

More than 150 donors have helped raise nearly $2.5 million to support features such as new beds ergonomically designed to increase comfort and safety, and MyChart Bedside, an innovation that will help patients and families stay informed.

Valley Health is studying options for the vacated hospital, considering community needs and site feasibility.

Learn More

Warren Memorial Hospital invites the community to tour the new facility at an open house on Saturday, June 12, between 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Face coverings and social distancing will be required for non-vaccinated community members touring inside the building.

To learn more about the new hospital, please visit www.valleyhealthlink.com/newWMH.