Mercy breaks ground on Perrysburg emergency-room center

Citing ongoing population growth and the lack of a hospital in northern Wood County, representatives of Mercy officially broke ground Friday morning for a $12.7 million emergency services and diagnostic center.

Located on a 12-acre site at Eckel Junction Road and State Rt. 25 near the I-475/U.S. 23 interchange, the 15,000-square-feet facility is expected to open by the fall of 2013.

“We saw a critical need for a hospital-level emergency room here in Perrysburg,” said Dennis Johnson, chairman of Mercy’s board of trustees. “Despite the troubled economy in northwest Ohio, the population is actually growing here in northern Wood County. With this growth, it became obvious to us that the residents here needed faster and improved access to leading edge emergency medical care.”

Dr. Chris Goliver, medical director of Mercy LifeStar and Life Flight services, will be the medical director at the emergency center. He said it will be staffed and equipped to handle any kind of medical emergency.

“Our personnel have the same training and expertise that you would expect to find in any community hospital and/or any trauma center,” he said. “We also work at St. Vincent’s at the trauma center so our knowledge base or skill set is the same. Just because we’re out here our skill set doesn’t change.”

Patients that require admission to a hospital will be transferred to the hospital of their choice, Mercy or non-Mercy, he said.

“Patient preference comes first,” Dr. Goliver said. “And that’s kind of the model behind the center. We are looking at encompassing this entirely around the patient. We want the patient experience to be out of this world.”

Dr. Goliver told the assembled group that the center will feature 10 exam rooms as well as lab and imaging services, including MRI scans, CT scans, digital radiology, ultrasound, and 3D mammography. Two rooms will be dedicated to pediatric care.

“When facing a serious illness or injury, the residents of the community deserve the best in emergency medical care,” he said. “I am proud to say that if you live in Perrysburg or the surrounding area, hospital-quality emergency services will soon be conveniently located close to where you live, work, and play.”

Mercy’s President and Chief Executive Officer Andrea Price said the health-care network was partnering with Perrysburg schools’ fine arts program to create art for the new facility. “Mercy has had a long tradition of emergency services,” she said. “We’re known for that, and we’re thrilled to be able to provide the exact same type of care that’s provided in our hospitals right here in this community.”

Perrysburg Mayor Nelson Evans said the project shows that the community is continuing to grow.

The facility is expected to create 30 to 40 jobs.

Contact Jennifer Feehan at: jfeehan@theblade.com or 419-724-6129.