DENNISON—Twin City Hospital employees are excited and for good reason since the finishing touches are currently being put into place at the construction site of the new medical center. Scheduled to be complete in early February and open to the public in March, the nearly $12 million facility will include cardiopulmonary, emergency, laboratory, radiology and surgical services as well as inpatient rooms. Even better than having a new facility to house nearly all patient care functions is to have a hospital specifically designed with patient convenience in mind.

            Alberici Healthcare Constructors, the construction management firm chosen by Twin City Hospital, is an award-winning company that is known for designing state-of-the-art hospitals that are easy for patients and visitors to navigate. Twin City Hospital CEO, Marge Jentes, explained, “Everything about the new medical center will be completely patient-focused to allow them to receive services more efficiently and with greater comfort. From the newly created and convenient parking lot to the larger lobby and waiting area, the new medical center will be equipped to give patients and visitors the best experience possible.”

            Twin City Hospital Director of Development, Rick Rieger, added, “Patient flow in the new medical center will be outstanding. There is only one hallway on the first floor for outpatients to have to travel from the registration area to the centralized cardiopulmonary, laboratory and radiology waiting room; and across the hall is the surgery waiting room. It will be so easy for patients and visitors to find what they need. On the inpatient floor, we have 19 private rooms and 3 semi-private rooms, which can be used by patients with family members (such as a parent of a child) staying with them.”

            Not only will the new Twin City Hospital medical center be user-friendly, but patients will also notice that technology will be improved. The new facility will be equipped with completely digital, new equipment and technologies from electronic medical records to surgical equipment. Test results can be digitally transferred from Twin City Hospital to physician specialists just about anywhere. “Patients who travel to specialists outside of the area will be able to get all of their testing done at Twin City Hospital, and we can easily send the results back to those specialists,” shared Jentes.

            Nearly all patient services will be located within the new medical center, and the hospital’s existing building will continue to house geriatric psychiatry services through Behavioral Services of America on the third floor, and the first two floors will be renovated for use as medical and administrative offices.

            To showcase the new medical center, Twin City Hospital will soon announce the date of a public open house to be held in early March. As the public begins to use the new facility, it is expected that the increased patient volume will make it possible for the hospital to add new jobs later in the year. The hospital also looks forward to adding another pediatrician to its active medical staff this summer.

            Although Twin City Hospital is growing, community support is still needed. “The generosity of the communities has been wonderful,” shared Rieger. “Our current fundraising total is $5,141,899. We greatly appreciate all of our donors; however, we still need to raise funds for the new building and new equipment. Donations will still be accepted, and there are still some room sponsorships and bricks available.” For more information about making a donation, contact Rieger at (740) 922-1242, or send your tax-deductible donation to the hospital at 819 N. First Street, Dennison, Ohio 44621.

Adult volunteers are also needed to help staff the new coffee bar and gift shop in the new medical center. To sign up to volunteer at the new medical center, call Lauren Mills, Director of Volunteer Services, at (740) 922-7450, ext. 2202.

The building of the hospital’s new medical center was only part of Twin City Hospital’s success story over the past year. Thanks to a generous grant from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeastern Ohio, the hospital’s Pediatric Wellness Program, led by physical therapist Sally K. Bonner, was able to begin a Fitness Just For You project to help children with special needs learn to exercise while having fun at the same time.

Additionally, Twin City Hospital’s Healthy Community Outreach Program, led by Board Certified Family Practitioner Dr. Timothy McKnight, has seen over 350 area adults “graduate” from its Fit for Life classes. The classes, made possible by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Rural Health Policy and a consortium of local agencies, help participants learn to make healthy lifestyle choices. Participants are often able to lose weight, lower their cholesterol levels and gain higher energy levels as a result of Fit for Life. Later this year, the hospital hopes to begin offering Fit for Life classes at area businesses.