Fairfield-Echo.com

BUTLER COUNTY — One hospital moved out of a nearly 100-year-old facility.

Others made major renovations to make room for new technology and a few opened brand new facilities or are constructing facilities that will open later this year or in 2009.

Doctors and hospital CEOs are following their patients into the Butler-Warren County region, where the population has exploded in the last decade.

To meet the demand, officials are expanding or constructing medical facilities along the Interstate 75 corridor north of Cincinnati and South of Dayton.

Atrium Medical Center

After 90 years, Middletown Regional Hospital moved to the Atrium Medical Center Dec. 9, 2007 and began what was billed as a "new medical era" in the region.

The $195 million hospital sits on a 200-acre health campus that is home to nine health care facilities, including a behavioral health pavilion, women's services, cardiac rehabilitation and heart failure treatment offered in the medical office building and the Dayton Children's Specialty Care Center.

Additional facilities such as an outpatient surgery center, the Atrium Family YMCA and a retirement community will open on the campus this year and a health science academy for high school students will open in 2009, Atrium officials said.

The broad spectrum of medical and community services on the campus are due to agencies in the Dayton-Cincinnati region working together, Spokesman Sandy Oswald said.

"We're really partnering on an intricate level. We're sharing resources and buildings,'' Oswald said. "Atrium is the heart of the campus. But the partnering with (other agencies) is what makes the campus unique.''

Fort Hamilton Hospital

Fort Hamilton Hospital more than quadrupled the size of its cardiology unit, expanding from 3,000 square feet to 16,000 square feet in 2007.

The $10 million project included renovating the first floor and adding state-of-the-art equipment that will allow surgeons to use innovative methods to unblock arteries.

Hospital officials also added an outpatient wound healing center, which includes hyperbaric services. Hyperbaric chambers help speed healing of wounds resulting from diabetes and poor circulation.

In 2008, Fort Hamilton officials plan to continuing expanding cardiac services, embark on a $5 million project to renovate cancer services and facilities and continue focusing on health and wellness and patient safety, said Fort Hamilton Senior Vice President Lynn Oswald.

"2007 was a very challenging year as well as an exciting year. But what keeps us focused is patient safety and qualify care. In 2008, we want to continue meeting the needs of our patients and our community.''

Mercy Hospital Fairfield

Last year, Mercy Hospital opened an orthopedic floor and introduced the Nintendo Wii as part of a rehabilitation treatment program for orthopedic patients.

They also added a Mobile PET/CT imaging tool that can better detect cancer cells.

The state of the art imaging equipment and new rehab technique are part of the hospital's effort to better serve patients, Greg Ossmann said.

He said that effort will continue this year when officials open a medical facility in the Liberty Falls Retail and Office Center in Liberty Twp.

"This is one of the fastest growing areas in Ohio,'' Ossmann said. "The Liberty Falls development is going to be a starting point for us as we look to provide services to a growing community.''

Mercy Hospital will occupy 20,000 square feet of the 40,000-square-foot building.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital

The new $83 million Liberty Twp. pediatric outpatient center for Children's Hospital is on schedule to open in August.

The 230,000-square-foot facility at 7777 Yankee Road will have a full service emergency room department and 23-hour licensed beds.

Amy Caruso, a spokeswoman for Cincinnati Children's Hospital, said the primary reason the hospital wanted to move into the Butler and Warren counties is because of the population growth.

"Cincinnati is experiencing significant growth in its pediatric population. And some of the biggest growth has been in the suburbs of Cincinnati. The new facility will better accommodate those families,'' Caruso said.

The hospital currently has locations in West Chester Twp. and Mason.

This year, Caruso said Cincinnati Children's will close the West Chester Twp. facility at 7700 University Court when its Liberty Twp. facility opens.

Officials will also to move services from its Mason location at 9560 Children's Dr. to the new facility.

West Chester Medical Center

The Health Alliance is on pace to open the West Chester Medical Center in 2009.

Construction on the five-story, $224,000 million hospital began in 2006, officials said, in hopes of filling a void in pediatric care in one of the state's fastest growing communities.

"There's a demand for health care services in Cincinnati's suburban communities. People are saying that they don't want to drive all the way Downtown Cincinnati for care,'' said Stephanie Savicki, a spokeswoman for West Chester Medical Center.

The 380,000 square-foot facility - once it's fully staffed - will bring about 1,000 jobs to the community, Savicki said.

McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital

McCullough-Hyde Memorial hospital is moving physicians to the Ross Medical Center to expand its outpatient care and other services.

The hospital occupies about 18,000 square feet on the first and second floors of the center located along Route 27 just north of the Ross exit.

The new building includes space for primary care and specialty physicians, along with testing and diagnostic services. This month, pain management and physical therapy services will be offered and evening and Saturday hours will be available in spring 2008, officials said.

The facility is equipped with a new large bore MRI that accommodates larger patients and those who are claustrophobic.

The $6 million move provides more outpatient care to residents in the Ross and Colerain Twp. areas, according to Richard Daniel, CEO of McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital.

"This is a growing area of Butler County, for which there was none of these services offered,'' Daniel said. "The medical center offers convenience of in and outpatient services. Instead of having our patients drive to other hospitals for these services, we put a medical center right in the middle to of the township.''

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or tlatta@coxohio.com.