A Brief History

Princeton Community Hospital opened as a 156-bed acute care general hospital on December 20, 1970. The hospital was chartered as a non-profit organization with its own board of directors to establish and plan for future health care services.

In 1975, the north and south wings were constructed to provide additional space for more than a dozen different departments. Upon completion in 1978, the increased space and procurement of more equipment enabled the hospital to greatly expand its diagnostic capabilities and become licensed as a 188-bed acute care facility.

PCH expanded its Day Surgery Department in 1992, tripling its capacity. The department enables PCH to offer effective procedures without lengthy hospital stays, ultimately providing patients with faster recovery times and significantly lower hospital bills.

In 1993, Princeton Community Hospital acquired Modern Health Care Options, a local home health agency with an excellent reputation for quality home nursing care. Now known as PCH Home Health, the agency supports the hospital’s mission to meet the needs of the community with appropriate and cost effective care.

In 2002, the construction of the spacious new Parkview Center was completed. The center provides space for the hospital's pharmacy and physical therapy services, an expanded surgical suite of nine operating rooms, post-anesthesia care unit and central service area, as well as the Women's Center, which offers family-friendly birthing suites, secure nurseries and a private setting for women's diagnostic services.

That same year, extensive renovations were finalized on PCH's Emergency Department, expanding the department to three times its former size and adding individual patient rooms for increased privacy.

Since its inception, the hospital staff has grown from 13 physicians and 125 employees to more than 100 doctors and 1,000 employees. Many allied health professionals are also associated with Princeton Community Hospital. With the addition of new equipment, the adoption of new concepts in health care delivery, and the expansion of the facility, the hospital's well-trained and highly motivated professionals are able to provide quality health care services for the citizens of Mercer and surrounding counties. The hospital’s many specialties and technological advancements place it on the leading edge of medical treatment in southern West Virginia.