In August, the JournalNews was the first to report that TriHealth might purchase the 23-acre campus.
Butler County Medical Center has approximately 180 clinical and management employees, according to TriHealth officials.
No medical staff or employee cuts will be made as a result of the consolidation of the center with Bethesda North Hospital, one of two Cincinnati hospitals operated by TriHealth. The only major patient care difference is patients will see a new name, TriHealth, on their medical bills, Oliphant said. A new name, Bethesda Hospital Butler County Medical Center, is in the works, he said.
TriHealth’s purchase of a major outpatient facility and small hospital here is part of the system’s efforts to expand services in the area, Oliphant said. “We view it as really an opportunity to build on something that has been in Butler County and has a good reputation and outstanding and good physicians,” he said.
“Our focus is really on growing the capabilities of that site.”
Oliphant said TriHealth plans to expand heart and cancer care at the center on Hamilton-Mason Road and add a 15-bed emergency department in 2013.
TriHealth also hopes to attract more physicians to the center, Oliphant said.
“Through the institutes and Butler County Medical Center, our goal is to provide models that much more closely align physicians and hospitals and care,” he said.
The medical center in 2000 was the first registered, physician-owned, multi-specialty, surgery center in the state and has grown to a 10-bed hospital, medical office building and outpatient services including imaging, a sleep center and physical therapy, according to its website.
“The facility will continue to offer Butler County residents the same convenience, comfort and efficiency, plus we are able to add emergency, cardiology and oncology care that expands our ability to serve the community,” said Dr. Greg Owens, chairman of the Butler County Medical Center Board.
Six health systems already operate hospitals serving Butler County in addition to the medical center: Kettering Health Network of Dayton, which acquired Fort Hamilton Hospital last year; Premier Health Partners of Dayton, which operates Atrium Medical Center; McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital of Oxford; Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, which has a campus in Liberty Twp.; Mercy Health Partners, which owns Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital; and UC Health, which owns West Chester Hospital.
More health systems are increasing their presence in one of the state’s fastest growing counties.
The Christ Hospital also signed a lease announced in September for physician office space in Liberty Twp.
The deal for TriHealth to buy the medical center in Hamilton has been in the works more than a year, Oliphant said.
“Obviously something this big doesn’t happen very quickly,” he said.
TriHealth is affiliated with several physician practices in Butler County. It owns Bethesda Medical Center Arrow Springs in Lebanon, Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati and Good Samaritan Medical Center Western Ridge. It purchased approximately 15 acres in 2006 in Liberty Twp. less than 10 miles from the medical center that Oliphant said it will continue to own.
“Part of it was there was an opportunity with an ongoing operations and facility to hit the ground running,” Oliphant added.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2551 or clevingston@coxohio.com.
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