The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Hospital ERs merge

Community Mercy will close emergency department  at Fountain Boulevard campus.

Community Mercy Health Partners CEO Mark Wiener.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Hope Ride pedals inspiration
7/31/10
Stafford: In the good-old summer
7/31/10
McGinn dunked for good... cause
7/31/10
Cottrel: When a drip turns into a renovation
7/31/10
Champaign County Senior center hopes voters renew levy
7/31/10
> More headlines

E-mail this page

By Kelly Mori, Staff Writer Updated 8:59 AM Wednesday, March 10, 2010

SPRINGFIELD — Community Mercy Health Partners has completed the consolidation of emergency services to its High Street campus and will close the emergency department at the Fountain Boulevard campus on March 29, hospital officials announced Tuesday, March 9.

Officials announced in December that they would gradually move all emergency services and personnel to the High Street campus as the hospital system prepares to move into its new $235 million medical center in early 2012.

The consolidation began nearly two years ago and has been done in a “thorough, thoughtful and gradual manner,” said CEO Mark Wiener.

In early 2008, all inpatient services were moved from the Fountain campus to High Street.

At the same time, paramedics and EMTs were asked to bring all patients who were possible candidates for admission to the High Street campus, which has added 10 more treatment rooms and a second triage station.

The result has been a 9 percent decrease in wait time despite a 4 percent increase in volume, said Dr. Rohn Kennington, medical director of emergency services.

The hospital system had more than 77,000 visits in 2009.

In the last two months all ambulances have been going to the High Street campus, Kennington said.

The Fountain campus has seen about 50 “walk-in” emergency room patients daily.

Less than 5 percent of those walk-ins have required admissions, he said. The majority could have been treated in urgent care centers.

One emergency room will allow for more flexible staffing for peak and non-peak volume times, he said.

In addition, patients will be in the same building as the catheterization lab, cardiology services and physician specialists. That alone will reduce wait times, he said.

After March 29, the former Mercy hospital building on Fountain Boulevard will be closed to the public.

But the campus will still house:

• Springfield Regional Imaging Center

• Springfield Regional Sleep Center

• Bright Beginnings Day Care Center

• Community Mercy Med Assist and REACH

• Acute Rehabilitation Center

• Mercy St. John’s Center

Mental Health Services, not affiliated with Community Mercy, is also located on the campus.

Wittenberg University is actively seeking ways to acquire some portion of the Fountain Boulevard campus, once it’s vacated with the opening of the Springfield Regional Medical Center in 2012.

The university is working with Community Mercy and the city on funding avenues to either renovate or demolish the portion of the campus the university acquires, Wiener said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0347  or kmori@coxohio.com.

Mark Wiener

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

Man, I'm really hoping and praying that the big boys at the top REALLY care about the city and its people. It's getting shaky at best with downsizing a med center when the area already has two over burdened ER's. Is anyone locally involved as far as residing here/using the hospital AND in these decision making processes?? Please, someone, reassure us!

very concerned
2:39 PM, 3/11/2010

REPORT ABUSE

The current care is a joke. If your an illegal immigrant or on welfare, you'll get 1st rate service. But I work my a$$ off,have insurance and can't get a freakin' Xray read because there's no one there qualified anymore. SRMC is going to sued for pretending to be caring before the concrete even dries.

real fed up
9:13 AM, 3/11/2010

REPORT ABUSE

Things are BAD NOW at the High Street campus. You can't get adequate care to save your dog. The time you spend waiting in the ER and then WAITING again once you actually get behind closed doors is ridiculous - then the doctors do not even act like they graduated with a medical degree - all Springfielders that value their lives need to make the drive to Dayton...

fed up
7:23 AM, 3/11/2010

REPORT ABUSE

First of all state law mandates that all Traumas meeting cetain criteria must be transferred to a Level I trauma center(Miami Valley, OSU, Grant). I worked in the ER at Community for 3 years. Most of the Doc's are competent as well as the nurses. Right now they all care about your current(right now)medical condition, but they are over worked and understaffed. The cough you have had for three weeks can be treated with cough drops from Walgreens. Springfielders get a grip. Get a job with insurance

Ben
2:06 AM, 3/11/2010

REPORT ABUSE

1. TOO many people that don't have healthcare visit that hospital daily... they take everyone in so if you have bruise on your leg.. they will take a look at you...(crazy people) Find a family doctor.
2. The new hospital was not planned out very well because you may think that amount of money looks like a lot..but its not a lot to build a great hospital
3.Does the same stuff NOT happen in dayton? Im sure it does it just doesn't get BLOWN up. Not everyone there is bad. but there are some.

really?
11:12 PM, 3/10/2010

REPORT ABUSE

There are 54 additional comments

SHOW ALL

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.