$116M Acute Care Hospital Opens

The new 162-bed hospital will cater to the growing suburban area.

At the ground breaking ceremony Ken Hanover, Health Alliance president and CEO, said, "We've picked a magnificent location. It sits right where we think some of the fastest growth in Cincinnati is going to occur. Building a hospital at this site will complement the services available at our other facilities. It will give residents even more high-quality choices from our providers in selecting the best health care for their needs."

With no pre-established infrastructure, the owner asked local clinicians to work with RTKL to integrate all modern technologies into the new facility.

"By working with the future doctors and staff of West Chester Medical Center, we found that their overarching vision was for the new hospital to focus on patients and families," says project manager Michael Hoffmeyer. "Our design strives to fulfill this vision in two ways. First, the design focuses on a holistic, integrated view of care rather than a model that moves patients between departments. Second, initial patient 'touch points' are clustered around the central rotunda to ease wayfinding and make the hospital seem more intimate and friendly."

The project, which was first announced in 2005, was slated to open last year but was delayed. The property purchased by the Health Alliance will allow for a later expansion to create a 300-bed hospital.

RTKL executives used retail design principals when creating the West Chester Medical Center; with a two-story glass entry to ease drop-off. Also similar services are grouped together. Each floor contains 36 beds, with rooms large enough to accommodate ICU and other treatment needs to cut down on the number of transfers a patient might need to make in the hospital and ease the doctor's job of patient care.

Beyond RTKL, Mortensen Messer Healthcare Construction worked as the general contractor and construction manager on the project. Fosdick & Hilmer handled the mechanical, electrical, plumbing needs. Also Vivian Llambi & Associates were hired as the landscape architect.

The Health Alliance is the umbrella company of several area hospitals including The Christ Hospital, The University Hospital, The St. Luke Hospitals, The Jewish Hospital, The Fort Hamilton Hospital and the physicians of Alliance Primary Care