OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital hosted a groundbreaking event on Thursday, Feb. 26, marking the start of a major expansion designed to meet the needs of a rapidly growing community. Guests in attendance and community partners at the groundbreaking event included representatives from the City of Dublin, Dublin Mayor Chris Amorose Groomes, Whiting-Turner, Design Group, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital Development Board members, donors and friends. 

The project includes the construction of a new patient tower, along with renovations to the hospital’s first and second floors to support the vertical build and accommodate increased patient volume. Dublin Methodist currently operates as a four-floor, 92-bed facility with acute care beds. The new tower will bring the total to six floors, adding two patient floors and increasing capacity to 96 beds, not including obstetric beds. Of those, 48 beds will be available for immediate use, while the remaining 48 will be shelled for future need.

The expansion is designed to increase critical care capacity and capabilities, increase vascular interventional radiological procedures, expand heart and vascular and surgery services, and support Dublin Methodist’s Level III Trauma Program growth. The hospital will be a total of 185,700 square feet, including 58,150 square feet of renovated space. The renovation is expected to be completed in 2029.

“Our community is experiencing rapid growth, particularly among individuals aged 65 and older who generally require a higher level of care. This increase in this segment of the population has led us to focus on expanding critical care services,” said Cherie Smith, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, president of OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital and OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital.

“Furthermore, our upcoming Trauma III Level verification has brought increased expectations regarding service volumes and community needs,” Smith stated. “This growth, coupled with the rising population, underscores the significance of our efforts and will help to improve patient flow reducing the need for temporary accommodations in busy areas of the hospital.

Hospital leadership actively sought feedback from both internal staff and the broader community to guide the expansion's design. Smith noted that teams involved foundation board members and community voices, offering valuable suggestions for interior design and desired updates.

Community and patient feedback have also played a key role in planning how people will navigate the new tower and surrounding spaces.

Smith explained, “Before deciding on the tower’s location, appearance, and how people would navigate the area, we gathered important feedback from the community. We invited others because, as staff, we’re familiar with navigating the hospital in our own way.  Seeing it from a patient’s perspective, enabled us to discover new approaches to enhance wayfinding.”  Additionally, construction teams worked with our associates to build a mock patient room allowing caregivers to test layouts and provide feedback on equipment placement and workflow.  "I'm extremely proud that we had a multidisciplinary group contributing insights to closely meet users' needs," Smith said.

Patients may begin noticing early changes starting in March, including the relocation of the helicopter helipad and adjustments to parking. Hospital leadership says plans are in place to ensure care and patient experience are not disrupted during construction.

“We are really stressing to our teams that we have ample parking for our associates in our associate parking so that is something we’ve already started focusing on,” Smith said.

On March 3, OhioHealth celebrated a milestone with the opening of the first phase of its $400 million construction project at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center. Located directly across from the main hospital entrance on East State Street, the new 33,000-square-foot Grant Family Medicine building features 50 patient rooms, the medical center's “transition of care” clinic and clinical learning opportunities for 36 family medicine resident physicians.

The full Grant Medical Center renovation, covering 310,000 square feet, is expected to be completed by 2028. Future developments include a new medical office building, a five-story parking garage and a seven-story trauma center housing a state-of-the-art emergency department, new trauma bays, 160 patient rooms and two levels of underground parking. As a Level I trauma center, Grant will continue to care for the region’s most serious emergencies with even greater resources and capacity.

OhioHealth’s $250-million expansion of OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital is now set to open in 2028, two years earlier than originally planned. Located on Hospital Drive, the 200,000-square-foot project includes the construction of a new six-floor building.

Scheduled to open in 2027, the new OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital Women’s Center will offer comprehensive women’s healthcare services across all stages of life, including labor and delivery, OB/GYN services and postpartum care. The $600-million, 555,000-square-foot facility is being built off Olentangy River Road with enough concrete to fill 26 Olympic-sized swimming pools and enough structural steel to build two and a half Boeing 747 airplanes.

OhioHealth is also planning a new $226-million Comprehensive Cancer Center. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 on the 199,000-square-foot facility, which will move cancer care services from the current Bing Cancer Center to the Blom Administrative Campus on OhioHealth Parkway.

Closer to the southeast side of Columbus, OhioHealth is building a $31-million health center in Canal Winchester. Set to open in summer 2025, the 40,000-square-foot facility will house outpatient medical offices and a freestanding 12-bed emergency department. The new center is aimed at increasing access to both primary and emergency care for the growing Canal Winchester area and nearby rural communities.

OhioHealth’s growth isn’t limited to Columbus. The health system is investing heavily in its regional hospitals as well, with renovation projects underway in Mansfield, Circleville, Athens, Marion, and Van Wert.

OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, already Ohio’s busiest maternity hospital, is undergoing an expansion with the construction of a nearly 600,000-square-foot Women’s Health Center. Set to open in 2027, the center will include:

• 185 inpatient beds
• Labor, delivery, and recovery rooms
• New operating rooms
• Mammogram services
• Obstetric and gynecological care

“We’ve engaged with a lot of women in our community here, and they said that they want more access to care, and so we’re proud to be a partner with them to deliver upon that,” Kristina Stuecher, vice president and project executive of the OhioHealth Women’s Health Center, told NBC4 anchor Jerod Smalley.

The new tower, located at the front of the hospital near State Route 315, will keep Riverside Methodist Hospital well-connected to ensure patient safety and convenience.

Downtown Columbus is also seeing major growth, and OhioHealth Grant Medical Center is expanding right along with it.

In early March, Grant Medical Center will open a new 33,000-square-foot Primary Care Center with more than 50 patient rooms, also serving as home to the hospital’s residency program. Shortly after, phase two of Grant’s $400 million expansion will begin, with construction of a seven-story trauma center tower at the corner of Town Street and 6th Street. This facility is expected to open in 2028.

“Downtown is growing, and we want to be able to serve the residents as well as those who are working downtown,” said Jean Halpin, president of OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, told NBC4. “We’re seeing lots of people start to migrate back down into the office setting, and so being able to have that anchor here is really important. That’s our investment into the future of medicine.”

OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital is also preparing for expansion, adding inpatient beds, critical care capacity and jobs, scheduled for completion in 2030. 

“Employers look for strength in hospitals, strength in schools, strength in community, and by being an anchor as OhioHealth serving the largest population here, that really makes us a good partner for employers as well as attractive for people to come here to Columbus,” Halpin said.

Grant Medical Center is nationally recognized for trauma care and is Ohio’s busiest Level I Trauma Center. This significant donation will help realize the new emergency department, the cornerstone of the Grant 2026 transformation project designed to improve and transform the hospital’s campus.

Gregory Decker, MD, president of MOES, expressed his enthusiasm for the prospect of helping transform high acuity care at Grant. “As a practicing physician in emergency medicine, I’m proud to represent MOES in this vital investment in Grant Medical Center,” said Decker. “We know that more than 50,000 patients are seen annually through Grant’s Emergency Department, and it’s inspiring to be able to help expand and enhance its critical care capabilities.”

MOES has been a committed partner to OhioHealth and has a generous history of giving that spans more than 17 years. In recognition, the Grant emergency room lobby in the newly constructed critical care pavilion will be named for Mid-Ohio Emergency Services.

“We are grateful to MOES for being a dedicated partner in providing exceptional care, and now for their continued commitment to Grant to help shape the future of healthcare in our downtown community,” said Michael Lawson, president, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center.

This gift commitment will allow Grant to look toward the future to meet the needs of an evolving community in downtown Columbus and deliver world-class care to central Ohio.

-A new trauma center, emergency department and critical care pavilion to build upon Grant’s core strengths.  This seven story building along Town Street will allow OhioHealth to expand trauma, critical care and intermediate care and modernize the emergency department to meet growing demand for these services. The new critical care pavilion will add 160 private beds and will include close and convenient access to underground parking for our ED patients.

-A newly constructed ambulatory facility to provide convenient access to expanded primary care services on the corner of Grant Avenue and State Street. This building will include two floors of outpatient care and a five-story parking garage.  Grant Family Medicine, the Transitions of Care Clinic and the food pantry will be housed in this building.

-Enhancements to the overall campus experience for patients, visitors, hospital associates and local residents.  This includes additional parking and enhancing greenspaces and hardscapes to promote walkability and a sense of community.  
“OhioHealth remains committed to the City of Columbus as we prepare to build on a century of excellence at Grant Medical Center,” said Michael Lawson, president, Grant.  “We are thrilled to serve our region by investing $400 million into expansion initiatives to deliver world-class care and transform healthcare in downtown Columbus. This commitment will establish the medical campus our city needs as it continues to grow.  We are choosing to commit, partner and invest in downtown Columbus for the long term.”

“As downtown Columbus continues to grow and develop, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center is growing right along with us by making sure our residents and those who work here have access to state-of-the-art healthcare,” said Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther.  “This initiative will serve as an easily accessible healthcare destination while also creating additional job opportunities. We are thankful to OhioHealth for its $400 million investment in downtown, one of the largest, single investments by one company in downtown to date.”

Economic Impact

This major investment in infrastructure will be a catalyst for the transformation of downtown Columbus by not only preserving over 3,000 current jobs downtown, but also creating hundreds of additional jobs now and over time as the project evolves.

“The expansion and upgrade ensures people in the downtown Columbus area can receive the medical care they need within 10 minutes of where they live or work and keeps our physicians, specialists, nurses and other healthcare professionals working downtown,” said Lawson. “As the residential and mixed-use developments continue to grow within downtown, those projects enable more people to live downtown and create a vibrant, walkable community – it also means that our associates will have the opportunity to live minutes from where they work.”

A Cornerstone of the City

Grant Medical Center, a pillar of the downtown community for 122 years and counting, currently provides a full range of healthcare services from primary and specialty care to the management of chronic conditions.  It’s nationally recognized in orthopedics, heart and vascular care, neurosciences and robotic and minimally invasive services – and it’s the busiest adult Level I Trauma Center in the state of Ohio. According to the Vizient Mortality Index, Grant ranks No. 1 out of seven participating Level I trauma centers in Ohio – meaning that if someone experiences a traumatic event, their chances of survival are better at Grant than anywhere else. 70,000 residents of Columbus and surrounding central Ohio communities turn to Grant for high-level, close to home care annually.

“Grant's Level I Trauma Center is a point of pride for the hospital and the OhioHealth system as a whole," said Urmil Pandya, MD, Grant's medical director of trauma.  “As the busiest and top rated Level I Trauma Center in Ohio, we are fortunate to have a group of experienced trauma team members to care for the thousands of patients we receive every year.  The updated emergency department and critical care pavilion will allow us to continue to provide excellent, cutting edge and the most innovative care in a world-class setting.  Our number one focus is on positive patient outcomes and this new facility will allow us to continue to be the best at what we do - saving lives.”

According to the 2020 census, Columbus is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the Midwest and the most populous city in Ohio.  In the past decade alone, the downtown population has doubled and downtown housing units are projected to double from 2014-2024. 

Key Facts and Figures

-Grant will increase by about 310,000 square feet (Ambulatory facility and parking garage will be approximately 40,000 square feet of medical office building space and a five-story parking garage; Emergency department/critical care pavilion will be approximately 270,000 square feet with underground parking).

-Increases trauma bays from three to five.

-Improves and expands parking options for patients and visitors.

-Increases main campus total beds from about 406 to over 450.

-$400 million investment in downtown Columbus.

-Anticipated to create hundreds of new jobs over the next decade.

-Construction will begin in mid-2023 and is expected to be completed in mid-2028.

-The project will be designed by Cannon Design in conjunction with Design Group and Moody Nolan.  The building team is a partnership between Messer Construction and Daimler and will also include a variety of diverse and small businesses.

Expanded Cancer Services Downtown

The Grant campus transformation comes on the heels of a $23 million expansion to Grant’s Cancer Care program, which will open in the fall of 2023 and provide increased access to advanced cancer care services, all in one location, creating an exceptional, convenient patient experience.  This includes:

-Peggy L. Wood Resource Center with computer access and resources for patients

-New Infusion Clinic

-Hematology and Oncology Clinic

-Updated Pharmacy and Lab

OhioHealth is also advancing its presence in radiation oncology by adding a new linear accelerator and relocating radiation oncology from Grant’s lower level to the first floor of the OhioHealth Bone and Joint Center.

Grant’s Downtown History

-Grant has a history of leading the way in healthcare, serving Columbus since 1900.

-In 1904, Grant was the largest, private inpatient facility in the country.

-In the 1900s, Grant pioneered the use of anesthesia in labor and other surgical techniques.

-In 1986, Grant established the nation’s first non-hospital-based medical helicopter to serve rural Ohio.

-Just as Grant has a history of leading the way in advancements, Grant also has a history of investing in our patients, community, and associates – investing over $102 million over the last 14 years in growth projects, clinical advancements, and community initiatives.

-Grant remains the only hospital treating adult patients in downtown Columbus.

-Grant continues to be OhioHealth’s only downtown inpatient location and only Level I adult trauma program, the largest and busiest in the state of Ohio and fifth in the country.

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, it is a family of 35,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 14 hospitals, 200+ ambulatory sites, hospice, home-health and other health services spanning a 47-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, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com.  

Renderings Courtesy: Cannon Design.  Media has permission to download and publish.

“From the moment we broke ground, we knew the Pickerington Medical Campus was only the beginning of our commitment to Pickerington and nearby communities,” said Kevin Lutz, DPM, president, OhioHealth Grove City Methodist Hospital and accountable executive for the Westerville and Pickerington Medical Campuses and Freestanding Emergency Department Network. “Since our opening in 2015, we have expanded to open a Short Stay Unit, purchased the adjacent medical office building, created strong partnerships with local schools, actively participate in the Chamber and sponsor local events.”

“As we continue to learn more about the healthcare needs of the community, we recognize there are additional services we could provide and now is the time to strengthen and deepen our commitment,” said Dr. Lutz.

OhioHealth is looking forward to again working with the City of Pickerington to ensure the evolving needs of the community are met in this expansion. Early programming and design is currently underway and details such as services, bed count, square footage and cost will be available at the conclusion of that process. Construction is planned to start this year, with a projected opening date of 2023.

OhioHealth plans to keep all current services on the campus in operation for the duration of the construction, including the Pickerington Emergency Care Center, which has become one of the busiest freestanding emergency departments in the OhioHealth system.

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, it is a family of 35,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 12 hospitals, 200+ ambulatory sites, hospice, home-health, medical equipment and other health services spanning a 47-county area. 

OhioHealth hospitals include OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, OhioHealth Shelby Hospital, OhioHealth Grove City Methodist Hospital and OhioHealth Berger Hospital. For more information, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com. 

Private rooms are critical to an improved patient experience. Marion providers and clinical care teams worked closely to design the rooms, which have zones for patients, family and staff, for maximum workflow efficiency.

In addition, the hospital’s new East Building will serve as the primary entry point into the hospital. Parking remains in front of the hospital and free valet service will be located at the new entrance.

The hospital cares for patients from Marion, Crawford, Morrow, Wyandot and Hardin counties serving as a reginal referral center for patients requiring a higher level of care.

“This is a great example of OhioHealth’s continued investment in the vision and strategy of healthcare in the market and how we are preparing for the future of healthcare. We are bringing value, safety and quality care to Marion and surrounding communities,” said Curt Gingrich, MD, president of Marion General Hospital. “This new space will allow us to offer an enhanced level of care though private rooms that will positively impact our patients.”

The building is the cornerstone of a Master Facilities Plan which outlines improvements throughout the Marion General Hospital campus including renovation of Marion Medical Campus’ Endoscopy Unit and Green Lobby. The Lab at Marion General is currently undergoing a renovation that will be complete this spring. In addition, the hospital’s Labor & Delivery Department will be renovated as well with completion expected for Fall of 2021.

Partners for this project included Gilbane Construction, Cannon Designs (architect), Hill International (project management) and M Engineering.

“The vision was to build a convenient, patient-centric destination to house Grant’s comprehensive cancer care services,” said Stacey Armstrong, president, Grant Medical Center. “This will improve our patient care and how we deliver quality care at Grant, while also benefiting the work of our outstanding associates and physicians.”

The expansion allows for the majority of cancer care services on the Grant campus to be located in the same building. Services include:

• Infusion (12 semi-private and two private bays)
• Pharmacy
• Medical Oncology and Hematology
• Lab
• PET CT
• Genetics Counseling
• Nutrition
• Social Work
• Survivorship Clinic
• Outpatient Palliative Care
• Breast Reconstruction Surgery
• Navigation for Cancer Patients

Radiation oncology remains in the lower level of Grant’s main hospital building.

The space features ample natural light and a clean, light-colored design concept, similar to other OhioHealth Cancer Care locations throughout the system. In addition to the clinical services offered, there is a boutique and resources in the Peggy L. Wood Resource Center where free services such as bra and wig fittings are available. Complimentary valet parking is available for patients and their families.

“I am thrilled that cancer patients at Grant will be able to receive treatment in a space designed with patients in mind,” said Mark Cripe, DO, a breast and melanoma surgeon at Grant. “Having the majority of services housed under one roof provides a convenience for them and one less thing to think about when they arrive here for treatment.”

Clinical services that were located in the Wilkins Professional Building prior to the cancer expansion remain. These include:

• Breast Surgery
• Colorectal Surgery
• General Surgery
• Heart & Vascular
• Imaging
• Lab
• Maternal Fetal Medicine
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Plastic Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Thoracic Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Wound Care
• Hemodialysis
• Nephrology
• Newborn Medicine

Since September 2014, Grant has been a certified member of MD Anderson Cancer Network^®, a program of MD Anderson Cancer Center, a world-renowned leader in cancer care.

Construction

Phase I of the $8.7 million expansion began in April 2018 when offices and departments within the Wilkins Professional Building were moved to other locations throughout the Grant campus. This included the medical library, the quality and patient safety department, the resident’s quarters and medical education offices. Phase II of the construction began in September 2018. The architect was M+A. Corna Kokosing was the general contractor and Hammes Company was the project manager. Approximately 33,680 square feet is now dedicated to cancer care in the Wilkins Professional Building.

New Physicians

The expansion also brings new physicians to OhioHealth Physician Group (OPG). Alfred Vargas, MD, medical oncology and hematology, joined OhioHealth in late 2018. He had been seeing patients in a time share space in the Wilkins Professional Building, until today’s opening of his permanent location.

Vijay Kudithipudi, MD, radiation oncology, joined OhioHealth in April 2019. He joined current OhioHealth radiation oncologist, Andrew Freeman, MD, in seeing radiation oncology patients at Grant.

Zulfikar Sharif, MD, thoracic surgery, joined OhioHealth in April 2019. He joined current OhioHealth thoracic surgeon, Vincent Daniel, MD, in seeing thoracic surgery patients at Grant.

Shakir Sarwar, MD, medical oncology and hematology will join OhioHealth on June 30. Dr. Sarwar will serve as medical director of Grant’s infusion clinic.

Grant Growth

The cancer care expansion is part of significant growth at Grant in recent years.

“As more and more people continue to work and live downtown, it’s important that we too grow alongside the community,” said Armstrong. “Over the last several years, OhioHealth has continued to invest in Grant’s growth, expansion and future success.”

In addition to this project, another $50.9 million has been spent on recent expansions that allow for improved patient care and access. This includes:

• Critical and Intermediate Care: A vertical expansion to create a new nursing unit, featuring 34 private patient care rooms
• Trauma: The addition of a third trauma bay and renovation of the existing two, as well as a new dual helipad, meaning three medical helicopters can be on the roof at once.
• OhioHealth Bone and Joint at Grant: The expansion of the Bone and Joint Center, which consolidates services for orthopedic patients – from surgery to rehabilitation – under one roof.
• Heart Services: The opening of 10 new, private patient rooms in the cardiac intermediate unit, as well as a new, state-of-the-art hybrid operating room that functions as both an operating room and a catheterization lab.

An additional $2.8 million was invested to turn the first floor of a hospital parking garage into a comprehensive primary care hub. The new location of OhioHealth Family Medicine Grant, which opened in October 2017, offers the full-spectrum of primary care services downtown, in addition to walk-in services, and is home to Grant’s family medicine residency program.

The renovations and expansions at the hospital coincide with the improvements and growth (residential and business) throughout the Discovery District area of downtown Columbus.

Now in its 10^th year of operation, work is underway at OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital for a $20 million dollar expansion project.

“Over these 10 years of serving the Dublin community, we have seen a need to physically grow, as well as adding new services to best care for patients and their families,” OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital president Steve Bunyard said. “With OhioHealth making significant financial commitments here, we have positioned ourselves to continue to respond to the daily needs of our patients, while giving our teams the tools and space to offer great care, close to home.”

The current plans include 32,000 square feet of new space at the hospital and renovation of 10,000 square feet. The expansion at Dublin Methodist Hospital will include 8 additional postpartum beds and 1 labor delivery room on the second floor. This will bring the total number of postpartum beds to 27 and labor delivery rooms to 10.

Additionally, Dublin Methodist Hospital will add a 15-bed observation unit connected to the north side of the emergency department. This observation unit will be for shorter stays of less than 24 hours, while physicians decide if a patient needs to be admitted or not.

“We know that the number of families choosing to have their babies at Dublin Methodist is at an all-time high,” Bunyard said. “We are now delivering more than 2500 babies each year, and simply put, needed more space. This along with the new observation unit area will continue to make Dublin Methodist a location where patients want to come for care, and a destination where physicians want to work.”

Along with the new construction at the hospital, the expansion plans include renovation work creating contiguous, perioperative support, and storage space above the MRI on the first floor, and above the soon to be constructed observation unit. This work will allow for potential operating room expansion in the future.

Messer Construction is the lead group on the project, while M + A Architects will serve as the lead design professional.

To read an article on the expansion for Dublin Methodist Hospital from Sarah Sole of the Dublin Villager, click the logo.

“This represents a substantial expansion in Grant’s future,” said Michael Lawson, president, Grant. “It allows us to increase our private bed capacity, enhance the patient experience and continue to improve the health of those we serve in the community. We are proud to offer this improved experience to our patients.”

The new unit increases capacity for critical and intermediate care. The 34 new, private, patient rooms are fully equipped for critical care patients, but will be creatively operated to flex between critical and intermediate care as needed.

Each private room has been designed to give the patient’s family and visitors adequate space, as well as natural light through windows. The goal of this new unit is to ensure that Grant’s current services and units are set up in a way that allows for patient safety, more private rooms, efficient workflows, patient satisfaction and future growth to meet the needs of our patients as the downtown community continues to grow.

In addition to 34 private rooms, the unit includes:

• A medication room to store and prepare medications
• A secure location for storing emergency equipment and supplies
• Decentralized nurses stations to allow nurses to remain closer to their patients
• Family waiting area with conference space, charging stations and a laptop work area

The expansion creates operational efficiency, increases private rooms and brings the total number of in-use patient beds at Grant from 415 to 449 (363 private and 86 semi-private). “Private rooms increase patient safety and satisfaction, two markers that are very important to us and our patients,” said Lawson. “This expansion project also aligns with our strategy to improve access to care.”

Grant admits about 20,000 patients per year and is frequently over 80 percent inpatient bed capacity. Grant is the busiest Level I trauma center in Ohio and one of the busiest trauma centers in the United States.

As part of the expansion, the exterior of the hospital surrounding the main entrance at the corner of Grant Avenue and State Street was revamped to include an all-new aluminum and glass façade anchored by brick columns on either side, covering the existing stucco exterior. There is also new LED logo signage on the outside of the area. The rounded aluminum and glass exterior now resembles the look of the OhioHealth Bone and Joint Center at Grant, the Surgical and Heart Center at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center and OhioHealth Grant Family Medicine, all located at the corners of Town Street and Sixth Street.

Construction on the nearly 25,000 square foot, $17.4 million unit began in June 2017, managed by Whiting-Turner. Corna Kokosing was the general contractor and Hammes Company was the project manager. Trinity Health Group served as the architect.

Grant Growth

4 East is part of significant growth at Grant in recent years. In addition to this project, Grant has spent another $33.5 million on expansions that allow for improved patient care and access. This includes:

• Trauma: The addition of a third trauma bay and renovation of the existing two, as well as a new dual helipad, meaning three medical helicopters can be on the roof at once.
• OhioHealth Bone and Joint at Grant: The expansion of the Bone and Joint Center, which consolidates services for orthopedic patients – from surgery to rehabilitation – under one roof.
• Heart Services: The opening of 10 new, private patient rooms in the cardiac intermediate unit, as well as a new, state-of-the-art hybrid operating room that functions as both an operating room and a catheterization lab.

Grant also invested an additional $2.8 million to turn the first floor of a hospital parking garage into a comprehensive primary care hub. The new location of OhioHealth Family Medicine Grant, which opened in October 2017, offers the full spectrum of primary care services downtown, in addition to walk-in services, and is home to Grant’s family medicine residency program.

The renovations and expansions at the hospital coincide with the improvements and growth (residential and business) throughout the Discovery District area of downtown Columbus.

About OhioHealth

OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare outreach of the United Methodist Church. Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth is currently recognized as one of the top five large health systems in America by Truven Health Analytics, an honor it has received six times. It is also recognized by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” and has been for 12 years in a row, 2007-2018.

Serving its communities since 1891, it is a family of 29,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 11 hospitals, 50+ ambulatory sites, hospice, home-health, medical equipment and other health services spanning a 40-county area.

OhioHealth hospitals include OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, OhioHealth Shelby Hospital and OhioHealth Rehabilitation Hospital. For more information, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com.

With the opening of the new dual helipad at Grant, the Trauma expansion project is now complete. Grant now has the ability to have three medical helicopters on site at one time, with the existing helipad as a back up. The two new helipads include an alpha pad for landing and a parking pad. The new helipads also open up the opportunity for larger helicopters to land at Grant, and now all helicopters that fly in the state can land there.

ABC6 reporter, Lu Ann Stoia, paid a visit to Grant to talk with Shay O’Mara, MD, medical director of Grant Trauma Services, and learn more about the new helipad and what it means for patients. According to O’Mara, OhioHealth sees 20 percent of all trauma patients in Ohio and Grant sees about half of those Ohio trauma patients.

“Here at Grant, our role is to not just be the Level I Trauma Center for the highest critically ill patients in central Ohio, but it’s also to be the Level I Trauma Center for the rural parts of our state,” said O’Mara. “It’s the right thing in response to what our people, our patients and our partners in helicopter transport have asked us for.”

Upon the completion of the helipad, the Grant trauma program now has:

• Increased the number of trauma bays from two to three — constructing a new bay and improving the two current bays.
• Constructed a new helipad, capable of dual landings and accommodating larger helicopters.
• Replaced radiology equipment rooms and added a new X-ray room in the ED.
• Renovated the EMS break room, providing a larger, improved space for EMS.

With these improvements, Grant is even better equipped to serve patients for years to come, allowing accommodation for more critical patients when seconds and minutes count.

To view the story, click on the ABC6 logo.  

As the escalation of violent crimes continues in Columbus, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center has expanded to add a third trauma bay to keep up with the community’s trauma injuries.

The number of homicides and people being shot in Columbus is on the rise. “People are getting better at hurting one another in the city. It’s bad,” Shay O'Mara, MD, medical director of trauma services at Grant Medical Center, told NBC4 reporter Katie Ferrell.

Now, plans have been announced for an additional $17.4 million vertical expansion project to add a fourth floor to Grant, bringing an additional 34 patient rooms to the thriving, downtown hospital.

Recently, ABC6/FOX28 reporter Tom Bosco visited Grant to take a peek at some of the construction and learn more about the project. You can watch his story by clicking on the ABC6 logo.

Bosco spoke with Michael Lawson, president of Grant, who told him the hospital admits more than 20,000 patients a year and frequently, is near 80 percent capacity.

"That's a clear indicator of our need to increase our in-patient beds," Lawson told Bosco.  Grant is the busiest trauma center in the state of Ohio and also one of the busiest in the country. 

Specific locations for the FSED network are yet to be determined but two planned locations include the Southeast/Obetz area and Hilliard, which should open within 18-24 months. Analysis of our patient data shows that many patients travel from these areas to Grant for their healthcare.

“There is a growing demand from patients, both nationally and locally, for healthcare to be delivered conveniently and in their own communities,” said Kristin McManmon, president, OhioHealth Neighborhood Care. “Our goal is to build a network of freestanding emergency departments that will allow people to receive emergency care in a more convenient setting, closer to home. One area we are exploring is the Southeast/Obetz area, which is underserved in healthcare options. Many patients from that area currently come to Grant for their healthcare. Having a freestanding ED in this area would bring care to the community while freeing up capacity at Grant to care for other patients. In addition to better access and convenience, our intent, as a system, is to make care more affordable.”

In addition, OhioHealth is expanding its plans in Grove City by building a surgical inpatient hospital that will also house an emergency department. The 26-bed surgical hospital will be smaller than traditional hospitals, specializing in lower acuity surgical care for patients needing a brief overnight stay. The inpatient hospital is in addition to the previously announced ambulatory surgery center for outpatient surgery and medical office building that will be on-site.

“OhioHealth has been caring for residents of Grove City for over three decades and we purchased this land over four years ago,” said Steve Markovich, MD, OhioHealth senior VP of central Ohio operations. “We’ve spent these years doing our due diligence to make sure we are bringing something to the community that they truly need, which is why we’re building a new type of hospital. What makes it stand out is that it has been designed with a focus on surgery, making it more efficient and more convenient for our patients and their families who typically travel to one of our larger hospitals for care. This hospital will allow them to stay closer to home, while receiving high quality care in a surgical-focused hospital that is solely dedicated to their needs.”

OhioHealth is also anticipating growth in patient volume at other hospitals within the system, including OhioHealth Doctors Hospital and OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. The announcement of these new facilities will both meet community needs and balance the demand for care at existing healthcare facilities.

OhioHealth also has plans to expand capacity at Grant, which is home to the busiest level I trauma program in the state. This is in addition to the plans previously announced to expand the Bone and Joint Center at Grant, a new helipad and additional trauma bay to support trauma, and expansion of heart and vascular services.

Approximately 300 jobs will be created by the development of the Grove City project and the FSEDs.

About the Freestanding ED Network

All of the freestanding ED facilities will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will be staffed by emergency medicine physicians and nurses.

These FSEDs will be physically smaller (6,000 – 11,000 square feet with eight patient bays) than typical emergency departments with smaller, cross-functional teams, allowing them to be more responsive and provide an enhanced patient experience.

All locations will contain imaging (CT, X-ray and ultrasound), lab and pharmacy services. Some locations will also offer additional outpatient services and physician offices. Those details are still to be determined. The investment in establishing the two FSEDs in central Ohio is approximately $12 million.

“As we are evaluating future locations, we want to make sure we have an easily accessible network of freestanding EDs that could serve the broader Columbus community,” said Markovich. “Our plan with these new FSEDs is to supplement the access we have with our already existing emergency services while also providing new, convenient access to communities that haven’t had it before.”

Charity care/financial assistance

Patients who are seen at these FSEDs will be eligible for OhioHealth’s financial assistance policies to the same extent as OhioHealth’s other emergency departments. These policies provide discounts from OhioHealth charges for care received based on need, up to the full cost of the visit if the individual qualifies.

Patient visits to emergency rooms are on the rise. A recent online poll by the American College of Emergency Physicians showed that 86 percent of emergency physicians expect patient visits to increase over a three year period. As hospital-based emergency rooms get busier, freestanding emergency departments can help alleviate the crowding and long wait times.

“While freestanding emergency departments are capable of handling most any medical emergency, the most severe cases tend to be treated at hospital-based emergency departments,” said Markovich. “A patient visiting a traditional emergency department with a minor emergency may experience a delay in receiving treatment while the more severe cases are tended to. In a freestanding emergency department, wait times to see a physician are significantly less, allowing for faster treatment at the same high level of quality. Most importantly, by treating these lower acuity patients closer to home, we can more appropriately manage their access to follow up care, hopefully avoiding future hospital stays.”

About the expansion in Grove City

The three-story hospital will be located on OhioHealth’s 22 acres of land in Grove City, east of I-71 on Stringtown Road. In total, the project will cost $46.5 million.

“Grove City has a true appreciation for OhioHealth thanks to its history of serving our community for more than three decades,” said Grove City Mayor Richard L. Stage. “In the late 1990s, OhioHealth made a major commitment to the community with a 50,000-square-foot signature medical office complex on Stringtown Road. OhioHealth’s new campus will not only significantly expand its medical services in our community, but will also provide road and infrastructure improvements to accommodate the needs of the project as well as the City’s long-term planning needs of its primary east-west connector.”

A TIF is being discussed that would improve and widen portions of Stringtown Road from the project site, east to State Route 104. Final plans for the improvements will be developed over the coming months and the work will be completed in 2017.

Projected Timeline

• Late 2016 – Construction is scheduled to begin on the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) and medical office building
• Early 2017 - Construction of the surgical hospital and emergency department is scheduled to begin
• Late 2017 – ASC and medical office building are scheduled to open
• Late 2018 – Hospital and emergency department are scheduled to open

“More people in Grove City choose OhioHealth for their healthcare than any other system and we want to make sure we’re there for them. It is our hope that this new surgical hospital, as well as other OhioHealth projects, will help alleviate some of the overcrowding,” said Markovich. “We are creating more access points for care in the communities we serve, like we are doing in Lewis Center in collaboration with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and like we did in Pickerington last year. This investment in Grove City is another example of creating access for community members by providing lower acuity surgical care close to home.”

Phase One: Ambulatory Surgery Center and Medical Office Building

The initial phase of the project will be the ASC, which will specialize in providing surgery in an outpatient setting. It will be a joint venture with 33 physician investors owning 51% of the center. The 40,000-square foot building will be made up of five operating rooms and two procedure rooms, as well as a medical office building that will house independent physicians and multiple surgical specialties including:

• Orthopedics
• General surgery
• Urology
• Colon-rectal
• Gynecology
• Gastroenterology
• Podiatry

 Phase Two: Surgical Hospital and Emergency Department

The second phase of the campus will be a 79,850-square feet OhioHealth-owned surgical hospital and emergency department. The hospital will house 20 inpatient beds and six observation beds. There will be three inpatient operating rooms and one procedure room. Imaging, laboratory, pharmacy and food services will be sized and decentralized to support the hospital.

The emergency department will be 16-bays and will be similar to the OhioHealth emergency departments located in Westerville and Pickerington. These are staffed by smaller cross-functional teams which include emergency medicine physicians and emergency department trained nurses.

“There is a need for our services here,” said McManmon. “The OhioHealth urgent care and WorkHealth offices in Grove City are the busiest in the system. Our imaging and rehabilitation offices are busy, too. We want to continue to provide the services the community needs in an even more convenient way.”

OhioHealth in Grove City

OhioHealth has been steadily growing medical care in the community for over three decades and currently offers many services to patients in Grove City in five locations, including the Grove City Health Center. These services include:

• Imaging
• Rehabilitation
• Urgent care
• WorkHealth
• Sleep services
• Primary care
• Heart & Vascular
• Orthopedics
• Neuro
• Sports medicine
• General surgery
• Ob/Gyn
• Gastroenterology

About OhioHealth

OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare organization with Methodist roots. Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth has been recognized as one of the top five large health systems in America by Truven Health Analytics, an honor it has received six times. It is also recognized by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” and has been for 10 years in a row, 2007-2016.

Serving its communities since 1891, it is a family of 28,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 11 hospitals, 50+ ambulatory sites, hospice, home-health, medical equipment and other health services spanning a 47-county area.

OhioHealth hospitals include OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, OhioHealth Shelby Hospital and OhioHealth Rehabilitation Hospital. For more information, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com.

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