“People are used to fast-paced and immediate responses on the needs that they have,” said Chad Ross, Mary Rutan Hospital vice president of operations. “… They want their health care to be delivered in that fashion as well.”
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The new facility will employ about 100 medical professionals and support staff, and about 25 will be new hires.
Mary Rutan has been successful in Bellefontaine with its family physicians and emergency room, Ross said, but wants to provide service for people’s other needs.
“We’re here to serve the community,” he said, “and so if it makes sense for a service to be here, we want to be the provider of it.”
Residents like James Hamlin are looking forward to the convenience the facility will provide.
Hamlin, a Marine veteran, now travels to Dayton or Springfield to see a doctor, he said.
“I don’t have too many options around here,” he said, “but now that they’re opening that up, you know, it’s going to be really convenient for us.”
The city of Bellefontaine has seen recent growth, he said, and this new health center is another step.
“It’s been a long time coming, I think,” he said.
The new facility will create more space for continuing programs, Ross said, and space to grow in the future.
“We’re building additional space that we can expand into for the next five, ten, 15 years,” he said. “Whatever the needs may be.”
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The hospital also expanded its clinic in Urbana last summer to provide services including urgent care.
The hospital is hopeful retailers will move onto the property as well, he said.
“We’re hoping that it’ll spur some economic development with the additional property we have,” Ross said.
Construction is expected to be completed on the new facility in January 2018, Ross said, with the opening following shortly after.
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