4 state-owned care facilities in West Virginia being sold

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia is selling four long-term care facilities, including ones in Marion and Preston counties.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) announced Tuesday that Marx Development Group, an operator of multiple care facilities in the region, has agreed to purchase the following state facilities:

• Hopemont Hospital in Terra Alta, Preston County
• Jackie Withrow Hospital in Beckley, Raleigh County
• John Manchin, Sr. Health Care Center in Fairmont, Marion County
• Lakin Hospital in West Columbia, Mason County

According to Gov. Morrisey’s office, the four facilities will be sold for $60 million, which he called “a win for West Virginia’s patients and a win for the taxpayers of our state.”

Morrisey’s office said that currently, the facilities operate at a $6 million annual loss; selling them will allow for increased levels of patient care and “spur investment into the renovation and expansion of these facilities,” Morrisey said in a press release.

As part of the sale, Marx Development Group has also agreed to build three to five new facilities in the state and source its labor and materials from in West Virginia.

Prior to the sale, MDG and its subsidiaries own 55 properties, including similar care facilities in Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Kentucky, according to Morrisey’s office.