Building a brighter future: Adena Health reveals construction plans for new Fayette County hospital

WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, OH (Sept. 5, 2024) – When the former Fayette County Memorial Hospital was welcomed into the Adena Health family in 2021, Adena President and CEO Jeff Graham expressed a desire to make a significant investment in the future of health care in Fayette County. The future, he promised at the time, included plans for construction of a new critical access hospital.

That future is now.

Design work that has been ongoing for a new 65,000-square-foot hospital to be located on the site of the present Adena Fayette Medical Center in Washington Court House is nearly complete and the health system plans to break ground and begin construction on the two-year building project around mid-year of 2025.

“This is us seeing our commitment through,” said Josh McCoy, vice president of Adena’s west region. “We know the community is set to grow significantly and it is our responsibility to be a partner in that growth, making sure residents have the quality health care this community deserves well into the future.”

Once completed, the new, modern facility will provide several opportunities to further build upon the quality care already provided at Adena Fayette Medical Center.

“We will have the ability to enhance our service offerings,” McCoy said. “What this will do is improve patient access to those services, create better efficiencies in providing those services, and provide an environment that makes care for our patients and their families more convenient. It also will give us the opportunity to provide more advanced treatment options within those services.”

For example, the technology and additional operating room space being integrated into the new hospital will enhance the ability to perform precision robotic-assisted surgical procedures. Addition of a progressive care unit will provide flexibility in responding to fluctuating patient volumes and care needs, integrating telemetry units into the infrastructure will advance the scope of care, while having a dedicated trauma room will provide immediate, specialized care for critical cases.

Several departments will see enhanced services as the result of the new hospital construction, including OB/GYN, surgical services, endoscopy, orthopedics, gastroenterology, and more.

Other benefits will accompany the new hospital, including enhanced patient privacy, convenient parking, additional patient care technology, and availability of an on-site retail pharmacy.

The construction of a new hospital will be an asset contributing to the economic growth of the community, as having high-quality health care available for employees is considered one of the key selling points for businesses and industries as they decide where to locate new facilities. In addition, the new hospital will help Adena’s ongoing recruitment work to bring even more highly skilled physicians and advanced practice providers to Fayette County and the health system as a whole.

While the facilities will be new, quality patient care has always been about people and the relationships that are built. Those who have been patients of Adena Fayette Medical Center will find the same skilled, compassionate caregivers they have come to rely upon over the years.

“It takes more than bricks and mortar to make a hospital,” McCoy said. “What makes Adena Fayette Medical Center special now and what will continue to make it special in the new facility are the dedicated physicians, advanced practice providers, and the entire caregiving team who put the well-being of their patients first.”

The new hospital construction will take place directly behind the current 74-year-old hospital on Columbus Avenue, thus ensuring that construction will not impact patients’ access to care throughout the project. 

About 14 months went into the design of the new hospital, utilizing feedback from not only leadership at Adena Fayette Medical Center and within the health system but from those who work every day within the walls of the current facility in determining such things as the most efficient space configurations and upgrades that will further enhance patient care. As a special nod to Fayette County, the design also incorporates subtle elements that pay tribute to the agricultural heritage of the community, its location within Washington Court House, and the resilience of the hospital’s staff.

Most importantly, the design puts patient care and the ability to continue developing options for advancing that care above all else.

“This project aligns with our mission to be our region’s most trusted partner in health care, so we’re very excited about the opportunity this new hospital presents for Washington Court House and all of Fayette County,” Graham said. “We are thrilled to be able to live up to our commitment to area residents and look forward to being an active partner in the exciting growth coming to this community.”

For more about the new Adena Fayette Medical Center, its current health care providers and full range of services, visit Adena.org/Fayette.