Press release
Avita Health System has purchased the north side property of Richland Mall on Fourth Street in Ontario and plans to open a multi-specialty medical facility as their first phase of development at the retail site. The purchase includes the 185,000 square foot former Lazarus building.
In order to expand and grow healthcare services in Ontario, Avita plans to develop a new, easily accessible medical facility at the former retail site by the end of fall 2014. The facility will house a group of multi-specialty medical providers as well as a full range of lab, imaging services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and ultrasound), and other outpatient services. Cardiology, orthopedics, sports medicine, family practice, internal medicine, vascular medicine, pain management, plastic and reconstructive surgery, ENT, and audiology are among the medical specialties planned for the initial phase of development.
Avita’s decision to expand in Ontario was fueled by the fact that Richland County is considered a healthcare professional shortage area. In addition, Avita currently serves Richland County patients in Galion and Bucyrus. “We recognize that there is a healthcare shortage in the Ontario market,” comments Jerry Morasko, Avita Health System President and CEO. “Avita’s Board feels that a large multi-specialty medical facility is needed in order to bring medical professionals into the Richland County market and fill this void. It is also important to the board to convenience patients from Richland County by adding services locally.”
“The concept of building a medical center next to a mall is a relatively new one,” states Jodi Scott, General Manager at the Richland Mall. “This is a win-win for both Avita and for the mall. Not only will this create an economic advantage for Ontario, it will also bring extra traffic to the shopping district and attract merchants to the area.”
Although Avita’s growth over the past several years has been tremendous, the health system will remain locally governed. “It is critical that Avita’s service areas are geographically represented by our board members,” Doug Schilling, Avita Health System Board Chairman. “The community does not want someone outside of the market determining what service lines are needed the most. We want Board members who live in our community so they will focus on what is best for this area, as well as their friends and families. We are a service industry. Quality healthcare and service to people isn’t dependent on the size of your organization.”
The Avita Board will be adding two new board members from Richland County and is now accepting applications. Richland County residents who are interested should contact Betsy Carpenter at bcarpenter@avitahs.org or 419-468-0504. You may also visit www.avitahealth.org to obtain a new board member application.
Avita currently has nine employed medical providers in the Ontario area, and operates a specialty center, also on Fourth Street, which houses orthopedics, sports medicine, vascular medicine, family medicine, x-ray, and lab.
“The City of Ontario and the Ontario Growth Corporation have been wonderful to work with through this entire process,” comments Morasko. Initially, Avita will be adding approximately 70 employees to the new Ontario medical facility and plans to grow that number substantially over the next three years. “We will determine, through patient volume, what our next phase of expansion at this location will be. There is plenty of room to grow,” adds Morasko.
For more information on Avita Health System, visit www.avitahealth.org.