Mount Carmel Health Systems and Fairfield Medical Center have unveiled plans to
build a state-of-the-art emergency care facility at U.S. Route 33 and Diley Road
in Violet Township.
The project is expected to start construction in spring 2008 and be completed by
fall 2009 on the west side of Diley north of the Diley-Route 33 interchange.
The $35 million complex will hold a clinical laboratory, medical office building
and pharmacy in a 70,000-square-foot space.
Additionally, the facility will include a "state-of-the-art" imaging center with
MRI, CT scan, X-ray and ultrasound capabilities, officials said.
"During our feasibility study, the community said loud and clear that the
greatest need is ready access to emergency services," said Fairfield Medical
Center President and CEO Mina Ubbing.
Traffic also factored into the decision to create the facility, Ubbing said.
"With the increased traffic congestion, it takes precious time to get to either
Fairfield Medical Center or Mount Carmel (Hospital East)," she said. "This
center will meet the need today."
Ground and air transportation will be able to access the facility, which will be
home to emergency medicine physicians, ER technicians, emergency-trained nurses
and support associates.
The 24-hour emergency center is expected to treat 10,000 patients in its first
year and almost 16,000 by year five.
Design Group Inc., a Columbus-based business, will act as the project architect.
Elford Inc. will act as the construction manager, and the Diamler Group is in
charge of developing the medical office building.
Canal Winchester Village Council brought the project to fruition when it
approved a 30-year tax increment financing district at its Dec. 17 meeting.
No details have been established, but a portion of the TIF proceeds will help
develop the infrastructure that will benefit the community and made the
project's development a reality, village officials said.
"The village is committed to working collaboratively with Mount Carmel and
Fairfield Medical Center on this project to provide accessible, quality health
care for the good of the community," said Winchester Mayor Jeffery Miller.
Chris Strayer, development director for Winchester, sees the emergency center as
highly beneficial to the Winchester community.
"It will benefit us definitely through income tax revenues and also just through
better emergency medical services for the area," Strayer said.
"(The center) puts us closer to the community we serve down in that area," said
Violet Township Board of Trustees Chairman Gary Weltlich.
Violet Township has fire and emergency medical services stations in downtown
Pickerington, Refugee Road and just north of Interstate 70 off state Route 256.
Weltlich said the emergency center would cut response and return-to-station time
substantially.
Violet Township is also considering building a new station near the emergency
center.
Pickerington administrators could not be reached for comment.
"As the two leading health systems serving the residents of Fairfield County,
Mount Carmel and Fairfield Medical Center look forward to bringing additional
health care services closer to home," said Claus von Zychlin, president and CEO
of Mount Carmel Health Systems.
"With the increased traffic congestion, it takes precious time to get to either
Fairfield Medical Center or Mount Carmel (Hospital East). This center will meet
the need today."
