Since the recent announcement about the impending closure of Good Samaritan Hospital, Kettering Health Network has been hard at work, expanding services at nearby Grandview Medical Center to help prevent a “healthcare desert” in the west Dayton community.
Statistics show that west Dayton residents suffer a greater number of heart attacks and strokes, so the benefits of an enhanced facility are clear. Emergency room patients at the expanded Grandview facilities will have immediate access to some of the most advanced technologies for heart, stroke, and trauma care.
“Grandview is located just two miles from Good Sam, and we will see a significant increase in patients, particularly in the Emergency Department,” said Kettering Health Network president Roy Chew, Ph.D., who has been with the network for nearly 40 years. “Expanding our services at this critical time to provide easier access to high-quality, specialized services at Grandview is simply the right thing to do.”
The expansion includes a $25 million Emergency Department upgrade and enhancements in additional specialized care services. All major work is scheduled for completion in November of this year. More than 150 team members of the professional design team, plus Dayton-area contractors, are working around the clock to keep these projects moving at a pace that is unheard of in the construction industry today.
Some of the most advanced technology is being added to these upgrades, including two new track-mounted x-ray systems, a new CT scanner, patient telemetry monitoring system, and new energy-efficient heating and air conditioning units. Grandview currently offers more than 20 medical and surgical specialties and the latest advanced technology in internal medicine, orthopedics, cancer care, cardiac catheterization, open heart surgery, and brain and spine surgery.
In addition to facility and medical service expansions, Grandview and Kettering Health Network are increasing community wellness initiatives in west Dayton. Some of the programs include free mammograms for underinsured women, life-saving screenings at health fairs, and free Lunch-N-Learn and Health Night Out programs with specialized presentations from physicians. Other programs are being expanded, including those that support non-profit organizations seeking collaborative, sustainable approaches to community health, as well as donations and volunteers to help prepare and serve free meals to children and families in need.
Of course, it will take more than an expansion of the emergency department and hospital services to adequately cover the health needs of the community. Kettering Health Network is working with various community partners to add or enhance family practice locations making it easier for patients to receive care close to home.
The needs of the community are Grandview's primary concern. Kettering Health Network is reaching out to the community for input on additional ways it might best serve the needs of area residents when Good Sam closes. In addition to discussions with citizens, pastors and other community leaders, the health care leaders have met with representatives from the City of Dayton, Montgomery County, the NAACP, and doctors who practice in the area, to name just a few.
This is not the first time Kettering Health Network stepped up when an area hospital closed — they have a long history of commitment to community health services. When St. Elizabeth Hospital shut down in 2000, Kettering Health Network and Grandview increased their healthcare commitment to west Dayton in advance of the closure.
“Kettering Health Network believes that all residents deserve to be treated with dignity and respect by a nationally recognized, faith-based medical center that is open and ready to serve them,” Dr. Chew said. “’We’re Here for You!’ is more than a slogan for us — it’s a deep, ongoing commitment to serving our community.”
Click here for more information about Grandview Medical Center and the services it provides.
