Good afternoon, I'm Mary Howard, executive director of The Ohio State University Wexner
Medical Center and East Hospital. Welcome to the official ribbon cutting of the west wing
expansion. What a great day for the East Hospital and Ohio State. I'm very excited about our new
facility. This is our first major project since we opened the new emergency department back in 2005.
So the west wing expansion 26 million dollar investment began a little over 18 months ago where
we stood here and did the groundbreaking. It's a 40,300 square foot surgery and then an additional
28,500 square feet of new space. So the expansion features a renovated and expanded
outpatient surgery unit with four state-of-the-art operating rooms, including a hybrid operating room
to facilitate interventional radiology procedures. There are 16 pre-op and post-anesthesia care bays.
There's a new imaging suite with the latest CT and MRI and digital x-ray technology,
a spacious, beautiful waiting room, private consultation rooms and then surgical services
that we will have in this new outpatient surgery unit include, but not limited to, general surgery,
ear nose and throat, gynecology, urology, colorectal, plastic surgery,
orthopedic surgery and vascular surgery. So what this new outpatient surgery center
means for the residents of the near east side is access to the highest quality of care to
meet their surgical needs for minimally invasive procedures to more complex surgical techniques
and it really does underscore East Hospital's continued dedication to the community. When the
university put forward its strategic plan three years ago, one of the main pillars of that plan
was our commitment to create healthy communities. We know that to achieve health and well-being for
all those that we serve, we have to deliver care beginning in the home and in the local community,
to leverage all the resources that exist not just to address health care per se,
but also to address the social, the behavioral and the environmental determinants of health,
which plays such an important role in allowing individuals to have healthy lives
and to be able to lead full lives, not dying premature death by having facilities like this
right here in this community. This stands as part of that enormous commitment. East Hospital
is a critical part and let me underscore a first step in our future and our plans for growth. In
as much as we've recognized during this pandemic that having extraordinary inpatient facilities,
critical care facilities is a responsibility that we have to this entire region to care for
the sickest of the sick. We also know that we have to have extraordinary ambulatory care facilities,
as well East Hospital as you know is integral to the medical center's mission to improve health
in central Ohio, especially as innovation in research education and patient care are critical
to addressing the health issues that directly impact the residents of this community. And
as east hospital enters its 21st year as an Ohio State facility, the hospital has continued to grow
as an anchor in this community that Ohio State and the near east side and surrounding communities
can be so very proud of. Over the years, the medical center has invested in the East Hospital,
made substantial investments to expand services to make upgrades to the facility
and to develop a long-term facility strategic plan. This expansion is the continued example
of that investment to address the health needs of the near east side residents through expanding
the hospital's outstanding care in outpatient surgery imaging and respiratory therapy services.
As council president and as a resident of the near east side, i'm so happy to be here.
The city and OSU have long worked together to improve this neighborhood and the health of
the local residents and what I appreciate so much about the leadership team here and our partnership
with OSU is the focus not just on the hospital system itself, but on the environmental health
impacts that bring people to the hospital in the first place, because it's hard for your family to
be healthy in an ailing neighborhood. So whether it's treating hypertension or housing, diabetes or
historic disinvestment, fighting cancer or getting young folks into careers, OSU and OSU East want
to be at the table and have been at the table playing a critical role in all of those things.
I'm very excited about this investment in our neighborhood. As Elizabeth said,
I live right down the street. I walk my dog past here every day - well, I try to walk my dog every
day - but I'm proud to have OSU East as a neighbor and as a critical partner in our community.
It all begins this week with our first surgical patient in our brand new space.
Before we do the ribbon cutting, let me just make one point of order. I really do
want to acknowledge and lead us in a round of applause to our university facilities operation
and development partners known as FOD, and also our architect partners,
Moody Nolan and Elfer construction managers, and all of the Wexner Medical Center staff
across the enterprise who had a hand in designing, building and opening this new facility.
Thank you.