Ravenna hospital continues to grow

Email To A Friend
Printer Friendly
Comments

---

by Colin McEwen

Record-Courier Reporter

Ravenna -- Although patients may not look forward to hospital visits, they can be comforted by the new 52,000-square-foot medical facility at Robinson Memorial Hospital that was unveiled recently.

With sweeping circular shapes and muted earth-tone colors, Robinson Professional Center hosted its grand opening, looking more like a five-star hotel than an institutionalized hospital setting.

Some of the 150 people in attendance toured the building, which houses Northeast Ohio Cardiovascular Specialists on the first floor and Portage Regional Gastroenterology and the Robinson Endoscopy Center on the second floor.

The $14 million addition is the hospital's largest undertaking since moving to its current site in 1977.

In addition to the hospital's combination of state of the art facilities and elegance, there is Perks, a gourmet coffee shop on the first floor.

In between the original hospital building and the new center is the Gertrude Petsche Healing Garden, a place for patients and family members to seek respite from the hospital.

Stephen Colecchi, president and CEO of the hospital, said the building is unique because of the collaboration to design it by the doctors who will be working there.

"The Robinson Professional Center is another example of the hospital's commitment to provide state-of-the-art facilities and high quality programs and services in convenient locations throughout portage County," he said.

"WE ARE VERY proud of this addition to the hospital's main campus."

Dr. Michael Cline of Portage Regional Gastroenterology said the new building allows him to see more patients and provide a better quality of care.

"I'm not the only doctor here," he said. "With more space, there's more availability. We're doing more cases than we have in long time."

He is able to see patients right at the hospital grounds, as opposed to his downtown office, where he would shuttle to and from the hospital to perform procedures. His office went from 1,100 square feet to more than 10,000.

"It's nice to see a hospital that puts money into providing better care," he said. "This is the first hospital that I have ever worked at that has something like this."

Dr. Roger Tsai, chairman of the hospital's cardiology department, said he also looks forward to more space, noting the building is "more accessible."

The new cardiology wing is attached to the hospital making it easier for patients going for surgery.

"The patient will receive better service," he said. "This is a better facility. This will be a better experience for the patient."

Tsai also is vice president of NEOCS, which is leasing its space from the hospital.

"This creates an environment where we can recruit more doctors and nurses and provide state-of-the-art care to the community," he said.

E-mail:

cmcewen@recordpub.com

Telephone: 330-296-9657