By Jean Braithwaite
tribune correspondent

KEYSER — Hal McBee, owner and chairman of the board for Mid-Atlantic Health Management, which owns Potomac Valley Hospital, dedicated the new health facility on Saturday by giving acknowledgement to several generations of the Bess Family, including Drs. Robert Jr. and Charlie Bess.
McBee spoke as the ribbon cutting ceremony took place, issuing gratitude to the Bess family, saying, “On behalf of the medical staff and all the people that Potomac Valley Hospital will serve, we thank you.”
The Mid-Atlantic Building, located next to the hospital, was dedicated to Dr. Robert W. McCoy.
“Dr. McCoy was a previous owner of Potomac Valley Hospital and we dedicate the building to honor his devotion and leadership in this community,” McBee said.
Another person recognized for assisting in the completion of the hospital building was Dr. Carl Liebig, who was the previous owner of the property where the hospital is now located.
“Dr. Liebig was keeping the land for a son to build a home on the acreage,” McBee stated. “When that did not happen, Dr. Liebig sold us the land on the condition that a hospital is built here.”
Also mentioning Larry Kessel of First United Bank, McBee named him as the one who headed up the financial part for the new hospital.
McBee said he was not sure if the construction of the hospital would happen, but heard the words of encouragement as Kessel said, “I think we can do this.”
Explaining the cost of $20 million for the 50,000-square-foot facility, McBee stated that $16 million came through from the First National and a consortium of banks.
In addition, an equipment loan to the total of $2 million, as well as a $1 million from Potomac Valley Hospital, added to the total cost.
TIF (tax increment financing) funding of $1 million coming from the Mineral County government will be used for the new road to the new facility and a drainage pond.
A bouquet of red roses was presented to Linda Shroyer, vice president of corporate affairs, who according to McBee, “ramrodded this whole endeavor.”
Giving words of praise to his wife Judy for making all the drapes, McBee added that daughter Stacy Cha and daughter-in-law Yvonne took care of the pictures on the walls.
Before the new Potomac Valley Hospital was open for tours of the facility, McBee gave two announcements.
He stated the earliest date the hospital will accept patients is Dec. 5, and the operating room equipment from the present hospital will be moved to the new facility on Dec. 2.
“This has been a long process,” McBee stated. “This is the beginning of a new medical campus here in Keyser.”
As part of the dedication of the new Potomac Valley Hospital on Saturday afternoon and included in the ceremony was the hospital’s chapel.
McBee mentioned that this was the first chapel to be located in any Potomac Valley facility.
During the open house, McBee said the chapel, located near the front lobby, was made possible by funding from many area churches.
“Seven churches and the Potomac Valley Bio-med Department donated $1,900 for the chapel,” McBee stated.
A plaque of appreciation hangs on the wall of the chapel and engraved on it are the following names: Trinity Evangelical Lutheran, Living Faith Fellowship, Church of the Assumption, First United Methodist, and Believers Fellowship, all of Keyser; Church of the Brethren of Westernport; and Sunnyside Church of the Brethren, New Creek; along with the Potomac Valley Bio-med Department.