Breaking down the Wexner Medical Center’s $3 billion budget allocation

Emma Bush
Wed, 20 Mar 2024 02:21:42 +0000
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The 1.9 million square feet Wexner Medical Center’s new hospital tower with 26 stories will open to patients in 2026. Credit: Ohio State Wexner Medical Center

With a growing population, the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center has undertaken $3 billion in construction projects, focusing on a new inpatient tower and four outpatient care centers.

The budget was discussed by the chairman of the center’s board, Leslie Wexner, at a February board of trustees meeting, sharing that both projects remain on schedule and on budget. Marti Leitch, director of media relations at the center, said these two projects are needed to care for a growing central Ohio region, which the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission expects to reach 3.15 million residents by 2050.

The 1.9 million-square-foot inpatient hospital, considered the largest single facilities project in Ohio State’s history, is more than 75% complete, according to the university’s Building the Future website. Of the $3 billion budget, $1.9 billion was allocated to the project.?

Facilities include diagnostic, treatment and inpatient service areas such as an emergency department, operating rooms, 60 neonatal intensive care unit bassinets, critical care and medical/surgical beds, leading-edge digital technologies to advance patient care, teaching and research according to the Board of Trustees Master Planning and Facilities Committee meeting agenda held on Feb. 22.?

According to the agenda, the building enclosure was completed by Feb. 22, with interior finishes now underway, including terrazzo and sheet flooring, painting and ceiling grid installation.

Full construction approval by the board of trustees for the Outpatient Care Center in Powell was received on Feb. 22 costing $183 million, according to the Building the Future website. Construction is expected to begin in April and through April 2026, with its opening planned for August of the same year.

Located at the northeast corner of Home Road and Sawmill Parkway, the outpatient center is the most recent construction project approved.?

“This facility is modeled after our other Outpatient Care facilities in Upper Arlington, New Albany and Dublin,” Leitch said in an email “These locations offer several outpatient services including urgent care, physical therapy, imaging, medical appointments and more. Specific services at the Powell location are still being determined.”?

The project will design and build a five-story medical office building and a two-story ambulatory health center which includes imaging, outpatient rehab/PT, endoscopy and support services, according to same agenda.?

The majority of the remaining $3 billion has been allocated to the James Outpatient Care, Outpatient Care Dublin, and Outpatient Care New Albany Centers, which are already in operation. Various other expenditures totaled $243.2 million, and included construction on the Dodd Garage and the Ohio State Martha Morehouse Outpatient Care center.?

The James Outpatient Care Center opened in July 2023 and cost $356.5 million this year, according to the Building the Future website. This cancer-focused facility includes Central Ohio’s first proton therapy treatment facility in partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, according to the website.

The Outpatient Care in Dublin cost $161.2 million this year and opened in September 2022. Located near state Route 33, the facility provides ambulatory surgery, endoscopy, primary care, specialty medical and surgical clinics and related support spaces, according to the website.?

The Outpatient Care in New Albany cost $137.9 million this year and opened in July 2021. Located near state Route 161 and Hamilton Road, this facility was the first of the three outpatient facilities and provides comprehensive diagnosis, screening and care at one location, according to the website.?