MORGANTOWN – After more than 40 years in downtown Morgantown – first on Pleasant Street, followed by 23 years at its current Spruce Street location – Milan Puskar Health Right is ready to begin its next chapter in its new Scott Avenue home.
“The dates are official,” Executive Director Laura Jones said. “The move will take place on April 13, 14 and possibly the 15th. We will be closing on April 8 and will reopen for limited services on April 21.”
Jones said Health Right is making arrangements to ensure patients have access to care and medications during the closure.
“We are both excited and sad. This move will end 42 years of MPHR at a downtown location. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate more fully with the organizations at Hazel’s House of Hope, Rainbow House, and Valley Healthcare, on Scott Avenue,” Jones said. “This move is a culmination of almost six years of work, much of it during and immediately after COVID-19.”
Health Right’s current home, the 10,500 square-foot building at 341 Spruce St., was sold to Round Table Development in the fall of 2024 for $907,000 according to the Monongalia County Assessor’s Office. The nonprofit has been paying rent to use the property since – $7,500 monthly according to The Dominion Post archive.
“The rent we have paid since we sold 341 Spruce St. has taken a toll on our budget overall. We did not expect to be in the old building past October of last year,” she said. “We are thankful that the new owners have been flexible regarding our timeline for moving.”
Jones said she doesn’t currently have an updated estimate for the total cost of the relocation, – including the purchase and expansion of the new facility, putting in new utilities, rent for the current facility, etc.
The most recent estimate shared publicly put the undertaking at about $2.2 million, about half of which is coming through the city of Morgantown. The city put up an initial $800,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds in September 2021 with the goal of moving Health Right out of downtown by March 2023.
The Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust, Milan Puskar Foundation and Monongalia County Commission have also contributed funds to the effort.
The move itself is expected to cost about $6,000.
Work to prepare Health Right’s future home at 10 Scott Ave. has faced a number of hurdles along the way, including the sale of a neighboring property which significantly delayed right-of-way clearance for the installation of electric and sewage utilities.
Health Right has spent the last several months getting the new facility licensed as a behavioral health center, which was one of the central goals identified as part of the move. Jones said confirmation of a provisional license was received Monday.
“The license is the whole reason we haven’t moved until now. They have to approve all new facilities before you can see patients there. It has taken since October to complete all of the things necessary to receive the license,” Jones said.
Health Right is planning a community ribbon-cutting ceremony, currently anticipated in June.
“Thank you to the city of Morgantown, the Monongalia County Commission, The Milan Puskar Foundation and the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust for assisting us in the purchase and renovation of the new clinic and behavioral health space. We also owe a thank you to the Benedum Foundation for helping us launch and expand our behavioral health services. We owe a huge thank you to our board of directors for guiding us through this sometimes difficult process,” Jones said. “We are just happy to finally have a date and are packing with intention now.”
