A forward-thinking medical initiative, which will dramatically impact how healthcare is delivered around the world, is being developed in West Virginia. Jim Justice, chairman and owner of The Greenbrier, along with world-renowned physicians Dr. James Andrews, Dr. Tom Graham, Michael Immel, orthopedic practice management consultant and long-time advisor to Dr. Jim Andrews, and lauded healthcare developer Jack T. Diamond, today announced the creation of The Greenbrier Medical Institute.
While the Institute will be built in phases, the initial stages are estimated at $250 million. Phase I will include five buildings, including a relocated and expanded executive health Greenbrier Clinic, a Jim Andrews sports medicine center, a cosmetic surgery and lifestyle enhancement academy, a sports performance and training facility and a boutique hotel with 20 VIP suites.
The announcement is the result of 15 months of meetings and diligence on the part of numerous individuals, including other highly regarded physicians and professionals who requested not to be identified. The concept for this cutting-edge endeavor was developed by Andrews, Graham and Diamond, who envisioned a world-class medical complex that would revolutionize healthcare. In addition, Dr. E. Gaylon McCollough, an internationally recognized surgeon and teacher in the cosmetic surgery field, has joined the team. Their goal was to establish a medical mecca with numerous components, including sports performance, wellness, research, product development, education, cosmetic surgery austin, preventive care and other specialties.
At the same time, they wanted a place that would attract the best physicians and healthcare professionals in the world, in turn creating a think tank of global proportions. Throughout their discussions, locations such as London, England, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Brasilia, Brazil and Seoul, South Korea, were considered. However, once the idea was presented to Justice, the concept became a reality with its home to be White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. “This announcement is the result of months of confidential meetings and due diligence. Our founding members have been investigating various locations across the globe to determine just the right combination of healthcare resources, world-class amenities, serenity, hospitality and proximity to thought leaders,” said Diamond. “When we approached Jim about the idea, he only asked what he could do to make our dream a reality. We knew then we had found the perfect partner.”
For Justice, who bought the 6,750-acre resort in 2009, the decision was practical and emotional. “Over 200 years ago, people came here to improve their health — soaking in the sulphur water, using hollowed-out trees for bathtubs. That’s how The Greenbrier was born,” said Justice. “Now, we are redefining healthcare with the expertise of these highly regarded professionals, a state-of-the-art medical facility and forum for research and education. And we are doing it right here in West Virginia. How exciting is that?” The Greenbrier Clinic was the nation’s first executive health program when it opened in 1948. The Clinic’s distinguished team of nine physicians includes Dr. Doug Jones, medical director, and Dr. Suzanne Romeo, director of the Clinic’s laser and aesthetic services. Long known as the leaders in diagnostic excellence and personalized executive care, The Clinic team will be a key component of The Greenbrier Medical Institute, which will employ approximately 525 individuals.
One component of the Institute will be a sports medicine center, led by Andrews, along with Dr. Kevin Workman and Dr. Bob Haas of Greenbrier Valley Physical Therapy. Workman and Haas have extensive experience in athletic rehabilitation, which complements Andrew’s surgical expertise. “This will be a comprehensive diagnostic and clinical orthopedic sports medicine complex combined with a sports enhancement and training facility. This Institute is a unique combination of the world’s leading physicians and healthcare experts coming together and acting as a ‘think tank’ to stimulate medical research, drive innovation, force change and redefine how the world and individuals approach health, wellness and longevity,” said Andrews. Workman, along with Dr. P. Gunnar Brolinson, team physician at Virginia Tech, will play an integral role in the Institute’s neurological (brain and spine) sports medicine center, which will focus on the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of neurological impact injuries (concussion) and sports related spine injuries. This will be the first of its kind and, when affiliated with the sports medicine component, will provide a range of sports injury/performance-related services that will be unparalleled anywhere in the world.
The center will provide leaders in the neurological sports medicine profession a format for collaboration, research and innovation in this rapidly advancing field. There have been ongoing discussions with the WVU Health Sciences Center along with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicineand the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. These relationships will prove greatly beneficial to these institutions as well as to The Greenbrier Medical Institute. This alliance of multi-disciplinary professionals will also develop a global “think tank” for idea exchange to stimulate medical research and innovation. “Advancing medical innovation saves and extends lives, improves the quality of our existence, increases access to doctors, and promotes fiscal responsibility,” said Graham, the chief innovation officer of the Cleveland Clinic. “Jim is a one-man stimulus package, and medical innovation is what stimulates our economy and drives the identity of our nation. The Greenbrier Medical Institute will be a contemporary medical congress that will bring together premier medical professionals in a unique environment dedicated to complete lifestyle enhancement.”
Full-body rejuvenation and appearance enhancement are other facets of The Greenbrier Medical Institute. Under McCollough’s leadership, the center’s cosmetic and reconstructive surgeons will not only improve the way patients look, but how they see, and care for, themselves. According to McCollough, “People who do the things that are required to look their best tend to find better health. Once patients understand how appearance, health, and performance are interconnected, they will be eager to work with other Institute professionals in order to lose unwanted fat, build muscle, become more physically and mentally fit, improve endurance and feel more confident in taking on challenges, which unhappy and unhealthy people see as impossible.” The Greenbrier Medical Institute complex, designed by architect Willie Stokes, will feature classic Georgian architecture similar to the resort’s façade. A replica of the Springhouse, the site of the property’s sulphur springs, will be incorporated into the facility. The Institute will include guest suites for patients and their families. Diamond and his partner Mark E. Krohn are leading the development of this extensive project.