Emergency medical center planned for Diley-Route 33
Reported December 26, 2007
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.”