CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Governor Jim Justice is presenting a $5 million dollar check to Charleston Area Medical Center toward the creation of a new neuroscience institute.
Justice met with CAMC officials and staff Monday afternoon for the check presentation. 
The new $40 million facility will bring all neuroscience-related facilities under one roof.
Justice said these healthcare workers specializing in neuroscience deserve a new state-of-the-art facility because what they do on a daily basis is heroic.
“I mean it when I tell you that I think you’re superstars in my book,” Justice said. “You ran to the fire everyday in Covid day after day after day, you took a risk like nobody’s business.”
Vandalia Health President and CEO David Ramsey said they couldn’t be more pleased by Justice’s contribution.
“It just makes it so much easier to be able to put the building together and just bring the vision to life, so we are very happy about it,” Ramsey said.
The neuroscience facility will be built in the parking lot across the street from CAMC General Hospital.
With Justice’s contribution as well as a previous $15 million in Federal Appropriations dollars from Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, Ramsey said they have now received about half of the necessary funding.
He said there are only two level 1 trauma centers in the state in Morgantown and in Charleston at CAMC, and this new facility is necessary to keep those trauma operations up to par.
“They’re vital really to the well-being of everybody across the state,” Ramsey said. “And we have to have neurosurgeons to support the trauma center, without neurosurgeons we can’t have a level one trauma center, they’re on call 24/7, they’re always here and available.”
The facility will consolidate neurosurgeons, neurologists, and the neurotology residency program.
Justice said they must have a state-of-the-art facilities to attract and retain much-needed medical professionals in West Virginia.
“Our hospitals are our life-blood, our hospitals are our heart of our communities, without our hospitals functioning properly, we are letting our people down like you can’t imagine,” Justice said.
Ramsey said the new facility will be a vital asset to caring for those suffering from neurological conditions.
“We all know somebody who has had a stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, some other dreaded neurological disease, and so they’re so crucial to our state,” he said.
Ramsey said construction on the facility is expected to begin in late summer early fall.