Ohio Valley Correspondent

WEIRTON — Weirton Medical Center is eliminating in-patient psychiatric services and future contributions to its employees’ defined-benefit pension plan, measures designed to offset reduced income from investment losses and lower patient volumes.

 “These measures will help to offset reduced income and lower patient volumes we have experienced as a result of the volatility of the financial markets and the effects of the recession,” Weirton Medical Center President and CEO Dr. Joseph P. Endrich said in a brief statement outlining the cuts. “These measures are estimated to save the medical center several million dollars.”

The 18-bed psychiatric unit will close Sept. 1, putting the equivalent of 10.7 full-time employees, both union and nonunion, out of work. Outpatient psychiatric services in the hospital’s Center for Behavioral Health will continue. WMC spokesman Kevin Brown said the economic downturn “has affected us in the same way as it has most hospitals.”

He said the unit’s closing had been recommended by a consultant “engaged over a year ago to provide recommendations for reducing operating costs.”

“The medical center chose not to implement that recommendation (then) based on community need,” he said. “However, in the months since then we had to reconsider for financial reasons.”

Brown said the psychiatric unit has been operating below capacity. Those patients now housed there “most likely will be discharged, appropriately, before Sept. 1,” he said.

Likewise, Brown said eliminating the annual contribution to its retirement income plan has been under consideration for some time. He stressed the plan is not being terminated.

“Interest will accrue on each account,” he said. “An employee who has 10 or 20 years of service will have a cash balance that will remain, and each year it will accrue interest and it will be available when they reach retirement age.”

He said the hospital’s final pension contribution will be made Sept. 30. However, employees, both current and future, will be able to participate in a voluntary 403(b) supplementary plan.

While the hospital no longer will contribute to the defined benefit plan after this year, Brown said that will not reduce the amounts already accrued in participants’ cash balance, and those accounts will continue to earn interest. Nor will it impact participants “who have already terminated from the medical center with a vested benefit or participants who have retired and have received or are currently receiving payments,” Endrich said.

Brown said the board “(doesn’t) have plans at this point to make any further reduction in service or cuts.”