WVU Medicine-Northern Region Provides Great Care at More Than 100 Locations in the Tri-State Area

By Andrew Wilson

Even though people routinely say, “I’m going to see my doctor,” they’ll actually see more than just a doctor during their visit.

“My team manages the physician practice staff that a patient interacts with during their visit to a doctor’s office, an outpatient facility, or a hospital,” said Phillip Laux, vice president, Provider Practice Division of WVU Medicine-Northern Region. “That includes the physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, office manager and clinical and administrative staff who escort you to the exam room and take your height, weight, and blood pressure.”

For WVU Medicine-Northern Region, teamwork is front and center on every aspect of patient care. With more than 200 providers across various specialties and 100 locations in the tri-state area, it takes a great team to ensure everything runs smoothly.

“As vice president, I assume responsibility for input and implementation of strategic decisions and day-to-day operations for all of WVU Medicine-Northern Region’s provider practices,” said Laux. “Provider practices include physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Our goal is to make sure that you have timely access to quality care in your community.”

To accomplish that goal of greater access for patients, WVU Medicine has utilized tele-medicine for patient consults, as well as expanding to locations for in-person visits, such as the new location at Southpointe in Canonsburg, PA, opening in late spring 2026.

Laux says that keeping physician practices and outpatient facilities within a reasonable distance of where people live is more than a good business model. It’s also important for maintaining good health.

“Ninety-five percent of care can be provided in the tri-state area, so we want to make it possible that you don’t have to travel a great distance to receive this care,” he said. “In many cases, if people have to travel too far for care, they may elect to go without care when something serious could be detected in its earliest and most treatable stage.”

Like many regions in the country, the tri-state area has large rural areas that historically have been underserved by healthcare organizations. WVU Medicine is expanding its footprint so that anyone in West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania, or southeastern Ohio will have access to high quality healthcare.

“We have a great group of physicians and providers across various specialties who provide excellent services,” said Laux. “We have found that people are so appreciative of having a location that provides great care near them that they really support those practices.”

Once a relationship is established between patients and physicians or other providers, the overall health of the community improves because people aren’t putting off tending to a minor ailment that may turn into something much more serious.

“When people connect with their provider, a relationship is established where patients are viewed holistically,” said Laux. “Once the relationship is there, they keep their appointments and pay more attention to their health. It’s one of the ways that we can get people more actively involved in their own healthcare.”

Of course, like other professions, physicians and other providers will retire or move out of the area for various reasons. Succession planning is always a consideration for Laux and his team. Sometimes it’s about finding a replacement for a primary care doctor who is ready to retire and move to enjoy warmer weather year-round. Sometimes their work is about recruiting a specialist to improve access to services that WVU Medicine’s patients want and expect.

“Our main goal is making sure that our patients have access to the care they need, whether that is primary or specialty care,” he said.

To that end, Laux says that he and his team have built a great relationship with communities and local colleges and universities in the area, particularly with West Virginia University.

“We are actively involved with medical schools in the region and their residents to encourage them to consider WVU Medicine to establish their medical practice. They are encouraged to begin discussions early and we provide them with more options,” he said, adding that the team approach extends beyond the professionals working in the Provider Practice Division, too. “When we speak with a physician/provider candidate about working for WVU Medicine-Northern Region, it really is a team approach. They meet with the CEO, senior administration, potential provider colleagues they will be working with, and we take them to the office where they potentially will be working so they a get a good feel for what it’s like to practice with WVU Medicine.”

WVU Medicine is the state of West Virginia’s largest health system and private employer and comprises 25 hospitals in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland. It is also comprised of five institutes: WVU Cancer Institute, WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute, WVU Eye Institute, WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, and WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. To find a doctor, please visit https://doctors.wvumedicine.org.