“This new building is based on the ‘medical home’ model to provide greater patient convenience and increased efficiency and collaboration among the health care professionals,” said Will Groneman, executive vice president for system development at TriHealth, at a ribbon cutting early Monday.
The opening of Group Health in West Chester replaces the nearby Springdale location that closed Sept. 17 to allow staff to transition. The new location nearly doubles the square footage from 26,000 to just under 50,000 square feet.
Kathleen Mueller, practice administrator, said the first thing a patient will notice when they enter the new office is self check-in areas for easy access. This is Group Health’s first location with self check-in registration for the “tech savvy generation,” but Mueller said there remains an option to check-in with a staff member.
“This (office) was set up for today’s modern health care needs,” said Randy Hammann, director of support services at TriHealth. “It’s all about the patient and not being a typical, sterile place.”
The two-story office includes large windows at the front and back for a steady flow of natural light throughout the building.
There are currently 39 physicians within the office and over 80 support staff, officials said. The office plans to add three more physicians by the end of the year, and a dozen more doctors in the next several years as the patient base grows.
The first floor at Group Health includes a full-service pharmacy that accepts outside prescriptions; physical therapy with seven treatment bays; a laboratory; imaging services; dermatology; audiology; ear, nose and throat; obstetrics and gynecology; surgery; radiology; allergy; the TriHealth Digestive Institute; orthopedics; and podiatry.
“It’s a medical mall concept to get in and out quickly,” Hammann said, especially for repeat visits such as physical therapy. “Everything for the patient in one place.”
The second floor includes pediatrics, internal medicine, endocrinology, two conference rooms and future space for family practice offices.
The office features six “multipurpose” rooms for discussion and health planning in a comfortable setting. Those topics could include medication education, consulting with a dietitian, discussions about end-of-life care, or breastfeeding in the pediatric department.
Mueller said the new office had about 465 scheduled visits on its opening day, and has the capacity for 600 patient visits each day. The office is open Monday to Saturday and can be reached at 513-246-7000.
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