University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center Holds Grand Opening Events for Phase 2 Expansion June 9 and 10

Newswise — BEACHWOOD, Ohio—University Hospitals (UH) Ahuja Medical Center is celebrating the grand opening of its Phase 2 expansion with a program and tours for lead project donors on Friday, June 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. and for the community on Saturday, June 10 from 2 to 4 p.m.

UH Ahuja Phase 2 will be in full operation for patient services later in June, with the new, expanded Emergency Department opening June 5 and additional services opening June 27. The $236 million project is expected to bring more than 500 new jobs to the community.

The medical center’s footprint has almost doubled in size with the addition of a 222,000 sq. ft., three-story hospital pavilion addition and 76,200 sq. ft. UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute.

The buildings were designed and developed by HKS Inc. Architects, Gilbane Building Company and Sodexo construction management. Gilbane and HKS served in similar roles when the original hospital opened in 2011. For more than 10 years, UH has prioritized utilizing a diverse range of suppliers for construction projects, and UH Ahuja Phase 2 continues these efforts. The expansion is currently exceeding project goals for minority participation, local workforce utilization and female business enterprise engagement.

“UH Ahuja Medical Center was always intended to be a facility that would grow and evolve with the community to meet their needs,” said Percival Kane, Jr., MHA, Chief Operating Officer, UH Ahuja Medical Center. “We successfully charged forward by almost doubling the size of our footprint while revolutionizing the way we deliver care. We not only expanded services that are outgrowing our original configuration, we designed new buildings from the ground up to allow our caregivers to efficiently provide quality health care and enhance patient experience.”

UH Ahuja Phase 2 paves the way for a number of new health and wellness services, including:

• UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute: Serving athletes from peewee to pro, the UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute is a local and national leader in delivering superior, comprehensive sports medicine services. The space includes a 45-yard football training field, an outpatient rehabilitation space, a sports walk-in clinic and dedicated high-tech imaging.
  
  
• Steve and Loree Potash Women & Newborn Center: Designed to meet the growing need for higher-level maternity and neonatal care in an easy and accessible location, the Steve and Loree Potash Women & Newborn Center offers labor and delivery services, the Richard Horvitz and Erica Hartman-Horvitz Neonatal Unit, high-risk pregnancy services, a Level II special care neonatal unit, and two on-site surgical suites to support multiple birth plans.

• UH Cutler Center for Men: With the help of the UH Cutler Center for Men, patients will be motivated to see a doctor regularly to address concerns before they become major health problems. Overlooking the William Barr III Fieldhouse, the waiting area includes a pool and foosball table, Cleveland Browns stadium seating, and a Zen area where patients can relax. The Center offers an additional focus on mi­nority men’s health, and is helping men take control of their health through personalized concierges, called the Joe Team.

• UH Breast Center: The UH Breast Center provides innovative and personalized care aimed at preventing, diagnosing and treating benign and malignant breast disease. As part of the UH Seidman Cancer Center, this new Center serves as a one-stop resource, where patients can receive a diagnosis, treatment plan and have surgery – all in one place. The UH Breast Center also features the latest diagnostic technology, including five new mammography rooms.

• Emergency Department and Short-Stay Unit: The new Emergency Department (ED) at UH Ahuja Medical Center nearly doubles in size to 43 beds. It includes two trauma bays and five fast-track rooms. Offering both adult and pediatric emergency care, the ED was designed with the family in mind and provides spacious rooms. In addition, a new 23-bed Short-Stay Unit will provide dedicated observation services.

• Surgery Center: The Phase 2 expansion increases operating room (OR) capacity at UH Ahuja Medical Center by 80 percent with the addition of eight new ORs, bringing the total number of OR suites to 18. Initially, four ORs will open and allow for expanded surgical and endoscopy services, including more orthopedic, general and gynecology services. A new Central Sterile Processing (CSP) area, which cleans, sterilizes and prepares medical instruments, features decorative glass walls. From an infection prevention standpoint, the walls are not only easy to clean, but also gave the CSP team an opportunity to customize their work environment with picturesque landscape images.

“As an anchor healthcare institution on Cleveland’s east side, we look forward to opening these new and expanded services to our community,” added Kane. “We are reimagining the way health care is delivered, both in-person and through technology, and are excited to introduce a new level of customer service that will support and make it easy for our patients to stay healthy.”

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For more information about the expansion project, please visit: UHhospitals.org/AhujaExpansion

Watch the construction time-lapse video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF_YGO_XFFU

View an animated, 3D tour that showcases all phases of construction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qkGxJxYHnc&t=4s.

About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio
Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 21 hospitals (including five joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship quaternary care, academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Oxford University, the Technion Israel Institute of Technology and National Taiwan University College of Medicine. The main campus also includes the UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, with more than 3,000 active clinical trials and research studies underway. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to 19 Clinical Care Delivery and Research Institutes. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with more than 30,000 employees. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.