Wheeling, W.Va. (AP) -- Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh will provide specialty pediatric care in West Virginia's northern panhandle through a new partnership with Wheeling Hospital.

The hospitals announced Friday that the Children's Hospital Specialty Care Center will see patients in Wheeling Hospital's tower 1.

Staff will provide a range of outpatient services in such areas as pediatric cardiology, general and thoracic surgery, neurology and oncology.

Wheeling Hospital chief executive Ronald Violi says the venture fills a need for more specialty care, allowing families in the Ohio valley to stay close to home without compromising on quality.

Wheeling Hospital created its center for pediatrics in September 2008 with five pediatricians and has since added staff.

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