Quality and Professional Affairs Committee discuss expansion across Columbus, national recognition at Tuesday meeting

Delaney Kerstetter
Thu, 25 Sep 2025 02:36:52 +0000
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Dr. Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer at the Wexner Medical Center, addresses the Ohio State University Board of Trustees on Tuesday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

The expansion of medical programs and a new national award were highlighted during a meeting of the Quality and Professional Affairs Committee of the Wexner Medical Center Board Tuesday.

New medical structures

Dr. Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer for the Wexner Medical Center, outlined new expansions across Columbus.

The medical center’s new inpatient tower is set to open Feb. 22, 2026, Thomas said. There will be three dress rehearsals preparing for the opening, the first being Oct. 23.

The inpatient tower will have 820 fully-private patient rooms, 234 ICU beds and sits at 26 stories, according to Wexner’s website.?

“We mock open the building for a day and work through a variety of the processes and protocols that we’ve designed over the past year for how patients and equipment and other things will move through the building,” Thomas said.

Medical center staff also participated in the ribbon cutting of Hilliard’s new recreational center, The Well. The medical center has a 15-year lease for space in the $110 million building.

The site will offer physical therapy, sports medicine and mental health care, Thomas said.

“This makes the third community center where we are their healthcare partner,” Thomas said. “After our Burlington and New Albany [locations], which now dates back almost a decade.”

Medical recognition

Dr. Carol Bradford, dean of The Ohio State University College of Medicine and vice president for Health Sciences at the Wexner Medical Center, announced the medical center had been recognized by the American Medical Association’s Joy in Medicine program.

The AMA recognizes organizations that commit to promote physician well-being through policies and programs that support staff, encourage teamwork and improve operational efficiency, according to the AMA website.

The medical center received silver-level recognition by the AMA for its efforts to reduce physician staff burnout and promote professional well-being, Bradford said.

“Last time we were bronze, so we’re moving up,” she said. “That’s because we’ve really got thoughtful and holistic interventions to really enhance the well-being of all members, faculty, learners and staff of our Wexner Medical Center teams.”