OhioHealth Expands Access to Care, Building New Albany Methodist Hospital

Key Takeaways:

• OhioHealth is investing nearly $700 million in New Albany Methodist Hospital to expand access to care in one of Central Ohio’s fastest-growing communities.
• Construction begins in early 2027, with the hospital expected to open in late 2030 with 160 inpatient beds and room to expand to 208.
• Services will include comprehensive advanced cardiac, neuroscience, stroke and trauma care, supported by more than 140 physicians and advanced practice providers.
• The campus is expected to employ about 1,700 people at full operation and involve 1,500 to 2,000 construction workers during development.

OhioHealth today announced plans to invest in more access to life-saving care for Ohioans. OhioHealth New Albany Methodist Hospital, a nearly $700 million investment, will expand access to hospital care in one of Central Ohio’s fastest-growing communities. This area sits at an important crossroads of growth and connectivity, with an expansive highway and roadway network linking communities across the region. OhioHealth’s vision is to meet that momentum with a hospital that expands access and connects people to the care they need, when and where they need it.

The medical campus is planned just south of State Route 161 near Hamilton Road, at the site of the former Big Lots’ headquarters, and is expected to open in late 2030 with 160 inpatient beds. Construction will begin in early 2027 and finish in the second half of 2030.

Hospital services will include, but won’t be limited to, comprehensive advanced cardiac, neuroscience, stroke and trauma care.

“Central Ohio is growing and we need to make sure access to high-quality care grows with it,” said Steve Markovich, president and CEO of OhioHealth. “New Albany Methodist is a significant investment in the future of this region and in making care more accessible to the families we serve in northeast Columbus and communities north and east of New Albany.”

The New Albany Methodist Hospital is part of OhioHealth’s long-term plan to create a network of hospital and outpatient centers in central Ohio so patients can get the care they need closer to where they live and work.

Growing with Central Ohio

The hospital’s service area is projected to grow over the next few years. OhioHealth estimates that 340,000 people currently live within a 15-minute drive of the site.

“We’re planning for people who live here today and those who will call this area home in the years ahead,” said Brian Jepson, president of OhioHealth’s Central Market. “That means building a hospital with room to grow alongside the community.”

Designed for Future Growth

The 600,000-square-foot hospital will combine 325,000 square feet of reimagined space with 275,000 square feet of new construction. Plans allow inpatient capacity to expand to 208 beds.

More than 140 physicians and advanced practice providers will provide medical services to the community from this campus.

The hospital will add inpatient capacity and high-acuity care on par with that provided at Riverside Methodist and Grant Medical Center, with complete, specific services to be determined as planning continues.

Investment and Jobs

The $700 million investment excludes the property purchase price. At full operation, the campus is expected to employ about 1,700 people, with annual wages and benefits of at least $220 million.

Employment will span clinical, support and administrative roles.

The project is expected to involve 1,500 to 2,000 construction workers over the course of development, with more than 250 on site at peak construction.

“New Albany’s growth has always been guided by a long-term vision for creating a community where people can live, work and thrive,” said Bill Ebbing, president and CEO of The New Albany Company. “OhioHealth’s investment builds on that vision by bringing greater access to high-quality healthcare, creating jobs and adding another important resource that will serve New Albany and the surrounding region for generations to come.”

About OhioHealth

Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable healthcare outreach of the United Methodist Church.

Serving its communities since 1891, OhioHealth is a family of 35,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 16 hospitals, more than 200 ambulatory sites, hospice, home health and other health services spanning a 50-county area. It has been recognized by FORTUNE as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” 15 times since 2007. For more information, visit ohiohealth.com.