OhioHealth has announced a substantial capital investment earmarked for a significant upgrade of the surgery facilities of OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital in Athens, Ohio, US.

This investment will focus on the enhancement of operating rooms, sterile processing areas, the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), and various support and storage areas within the hospital.

The OhioHealth board of directors approved the $17.2m investment last year, marking the latest in a series of commitments to O’Bleness Hospital since it joined the OhioHealth system in 2014.

Over the past several years, OhioHealth said it has channelled more than $50m into the hospital's infrastructure.

This investment helped in the construction of a medical office building in 2021, the transition to CareConnect, which is OhioHealth's electronic medical record system, in 2020, as well as significant expansions to the emergency department and a new intensive care unit in 2018.

In addition, the investment has facilitated the establishment of a new cancer care facility, which introduced radiation oncology services in 2017, and the construction of the Nelsonville Health Center in 2015.

All these developments have been complemented by numerous upgrades to equipment and facilities across the hospital campus. 

The current surgery facility project is set to be the largest single improvement at O’Bleness Hospital in the last ten years.  

Elford Construction has been chosen as the construction partner, with IMEG providing engineering services. 

Meanwhile, Design Group and BDT have been appointed as the architectural firms for the project.  

With a tentative completion date set for January 2026, the hospital aims to build on the more than 3,000 surgeries performed last year, by offering improved surgical services to the southeast Ohio community. 

OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital president LeeAnn Lucas-Helber said: “It’s a great example of OhioHealth’s continued investment in our vision for healthcare in southeastern Ohio.

“The project reflects progress toward our goals of keeping care local and creating a regional hub for speciality services. The investment in these facilities will enable us to keep more surgical care local and provide an improved experience for our surgery patients.”