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Nearly five years of strategic planning, research, development, and construction will culminate at 7 a.m. on Sunday, March 13, 2005, when The “New” Bellevue Hospital officially opens its doors to accept its first patients.

“This is an exciting time for our community,” said Thomas Barth, chairman of the board at The Bellevue Hospital (TBH). “Our modern facility creates a patient-centered healing environment allowing us to combine the most recent technological advances with our strong tradition of caring. This will be a local hospital, directed by local community leaders, and will ensure our future healthcare needs are served for generations to come.”

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Dedication, and Public Open House will be held on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2005, from 1-6 p.m. at the 1400 West Main Street location.

Anyone touring the facility will register for several door prize drawings, including a Disney World trip for four; a Toronto rail trip for two; two Cherry Valley Lodge packages; two Cuyahoga Falls wine tasting trips for two; Cleveland Indians tickets; and Cedar Point passes. Employees of TBH and their immediate families are not eligible for the drawings. Winners need not be present to win and will be contacted.
 

Anyone touring the new facility on Feb. 27 will enter the grounds off of York Township Road 302. The circular drive around the facility will be one-way counterclockwise.

Visitors can park in any marked lot, or in the outside lane of the circular road. The inside lane will be used for driving, and shuttle buses will be available to transport visitors to and from their cars. All visitors are asked to use the south entrance (U.S. 20 side) to begin their tours on Feb. 27.

STRATEGIC PLANNING BEGAN IN 2000
The hospital board began strategic planning in June of 2000. After two years of research, which included looking at expanding the current facility or building a replacement hospital, the board voted in March of 2002 to proceed with pursuing a replacement facility.

“The deciding factors for building included the age of and lack of area to expand the current facility, the increasing patient usage of the hospital, along with the current low interest rates and competitive market in the construction industry,” added Barth.

A total of 15 architectural firms then submitted plans. Those designs were then culled to three finalists, and from there, GSI, from Cleveland, was awarded the design work. “One of the key factors in the decision was that, in the GSI drawings, the hospital did not take on an ‘institutional’ look,” said Michael K. Winthrop, president and CEO of TBH. “The exterior ‘prairie style’ look of the GSI design will fit in nicely with the surrounding landscape, while the internal design is sleek, open, and accessible.”

The hospital board of directors gave the final go-ahead for construction of the new facility in April of 2003. Ground was broken on June 27, 2003 for the facility, which carried a construction cost of $27 million and a final overall cost of $35,948,624, which included fees, equipment, and contingency funds.

“Our board looked at several locations in town and outside of town,” stated Winthrop. “We settled on this site for a couple of reasons. One, this site is within the Bellevue city limits. Secondly, although 48-percent of our business comes from the Bellevue zip code area, nearly 40-percent of our business comes from the Clyde zip code, and another 10-percent from the Fremont zip code area, so locating the hospital on the west side of Bellevue makes sense.

JOINT EFFORT FOR FUNDING
One of the most important decisions the board had to make regarding a replacement facility was cost and how to afford the $36 million price tag. Collaboration with two area healthcare facilities solved that problem.

“Firelands Regional Medical Center, Sandusky, and Norwalk Area Health Systems, Inc. are investment equity owners in this replacement facility,” said Winthrop. “Each invested $7.5 million to help us finance the building. In return, they each occupy two seats on our hospital board of directors. However, TBH retains 15 seats on the board.

“The bottom line,” continued Winthrop, “Is that TBH will always maintain majority control over the new facility. The remainder of the cost is financed through bonds issued by Fifth Third Bank. Also, our hospital initiated a capital campaign project that realized over $2.3 million to help offset some of the costs.

“This new facility will not affect taxes in any way,” said Winthrop. “The Bellevue Hospital (a not-for-profit facility) receives no tax money to operate the facility.”

BUILT WITH THE PATIENT IN MIND
The new facility, according to Winthrop, will be much more patient friendly than the 88-year old facility on Northwest Street.

“It really is patient-focused. This facility contains 32 all private rooms, better lighting, improved parking, curbless driveways, and better signage,” explained Winthrop.

“There are two separate Emergency Room entrances, one for walk-in patients, and a private entrance for emergency vehicles,” continued Winthrop. “In addition, there are separate outpatient and physician/employee entrances.

The main entrance faces U.S. 20, and from there, people can walk to the dining area, Physical Therapy, Administration, Lab, Cardiopulmonary, and Medical Records Departments. Radiology and Surgery are located convenient to the Emergency Room. All of the private patient rooms, including the Intensive Care Unit and Family Birthing Center, are located on the second floor.”

Overall, the hospital has 50 inpatient beds (compared to 48 now), 35 outpatient beds (17 now), and 336 parking spaces (262 now). Emergency services increase from six exam rooms to 11, including two trauma rooms. Overall, the new facility encompasses 129,000 square feet, compared to the current 88,000 square foot building.

Much of the existing medical equipment will be transferred to the new facility.

OVERVIEW
The Bellevue Hospital Association was organized and incorporated in August of 1914. Property for the current Northwest Street facility was purchased in November of 1915 at a total cost of $1,950, and ground was broken in March of 1916.

 Construction began in August of the same year, and the hospital was completed and officially dedicated on March 6, 1917.

In his dedication speech, Dr. J.C. Morrow noted, “This hospital recognizes neither creed, color, nor station in life. Its mission on Earth is to care for the sick and injured. The doors of The Bellevue Hospital will ever stand open to receive the poor patient and to extend the same courteous and scientific treatment that is extended his more fortunate brother, the rich.”

On April 6, 1917, Mrs. S.C. Cramer gave birth to first baby born in The Bellevue Hospital. Dr. H.R. Dewey was the attending physician. The baby boy was named David Lamon Cramer.

One of the three largest employers in Bellevue, TBH employs more than 400 people, has 39 active medical staff doctors, 67 courtesy staff doctors, 12 allied health professionals, and four emergency medicine physicians.

For the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2002, TBH provided nearly $54 million in billable services, with a total of over 2,400 inpatient admissions.
 

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The Bellevue Hospital, 1400 W. Main Street - P O Box 8004, Bellevue, Ohio  44811-8004    419-483-4040
Last modified: 06/27/05