Marietta, Ohio.-based Memorial Health System broke ground Oct. 8 on a $125 million women and children's hospital, which is set to open in fall 2026.
Here are four details:
- The 66,000-square-foot facility is being constructed on Memorial's Belpre (Ohio) Medical Campus. When complete, it will be the only women and children's hospital in Southeast Ohio.
- The new hospital is being built in response to growing demand for specialized OB-GYN and pediatric services in the region. Last year, 216 patients with high-risk pregnancies traveled outside of the service area for care, according to Memorial Health System. The majority of infants requiring NICU care were also transported outside of the region.
"Expectant mothers with high-risk pregnancies, babies born prematurely, or others in need of specialized healthcare support will no longer be forced to travel an hour or more to get medical care in an unfamiliar place," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony, said in a news release. "This new hospital will bring these lifesaving supports closer to home." - Ohio contributed $30 million in state funds toward the hospital. Memorial Health System and Akron (Ohio) Children's each contributed $40 million to the project.
- Memorial Health System has partnered with Akron Children's to operate the hospital.