By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
More jobs and more healthcare will be coming to the North Central Ohio region as a result of Avita’s announced expansion of its facilities in Ontario.
The announcement of the expansion came during a press conference Tuesday morning in which Avita representatives revealed Phase II of the project which expands healthcare facilities onto the second and third floors of the old Lazarus building at the Richland Mall. With the expansion, Avita projects hiring 350 more full-time staff.
Avita also oversees hospitals in both Galion and Bucyrus.
Director of Marketing and Community Relations Kelby King explained what new services will be available once the expansion project is completed.
“You’ll have services such as ICU an inpatient wing,” King said. “The ICU is actually is a seven-bed intensive care unit, and then 19 inpatient rooms. We will have four surgical suites, along with that you have your 16-bed pre-op and post-op area, and then you have all the ancillary services. “
Funding for the project will come from a $91 million grant from the USDA. During Tuesday’s press conference USDA Rural Development Community Programs Director Dave Douglas addressed the agency’s involvement.
“The Ohio USDA team is proud to be asked to take part in this project, and we look forward to working with Avita,” Douglas said. “Creation of this facility will reduce the travel time for urgent care.”
USDA Ohio Rural Development State Director Tony Logan added that he hopes that Phase II of the project will inspire children in the area to stay in the area and raise their families.
Avita CEO Jerry Morasko explained that it has a long time for Phase II to see the light of day.
“It has been a long process. We can now work with three smaller hospitals and provide specialties that have never been available in this area before,” Morasko said. “It has been four years coming. The USDA started the ball rolling and we finalized the paperwork in the spring. I would like to thank all those responsible for Phase II to push for the timeline.”
Morasko described how the $91 Million in rural improvement grant money was going to be used.
“We already bid out for the project (and) $42 million will be used for equipment and the project,” Morasco said. “The rest will be for debt reconstruction.”
Construction on the project is slated to begin in December with the expansions set to open during the first quarter of 2017. In total, the project will cost $69 million.