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Medical center to open on Route 27

Rebecca Kelley

Health care could become more convenient in the Ross and Colerain township areas, as the new Ross Medical Center, being built on U.S. Route 27 South toward Colerain, is opening in February and taking a unique approach to the treatment process.

The heath center will have a combination of family practitioners, outpatient laboratories and specialty doctors available on site for patients.

According to Melissa Watkins, registered nurse at Ross Medical Center, a portion of the building is open, but the entire ensemble is not expected to open until February.

"The family physician practice is open right now, but the whole building is not open yet," Watkins said.

According to Sylvia Moore, administrative assistant to the CEO of McCullough-Hyde Hospital, the goal of the new health center is to be a "one stop care experience."

Watkins explained that the building is going to be leased out to two family practitioners, Dr. Julie Broering and her husband Dr. Chad Fogt, as well as McCullough-Hyde Hospital and a number of different specialty practices.

"(The family practitioners) see from newborn to elderly to end of life care," Watkins said.

According to Moore, McCullough-Hyde will provide many different outpatient laboratory services, including X-Ray, MRI, ultrasounds, laboratory testing and endoscopies for the facility.

The specialty practices, according to Moore, include pediatrics, obstetrics, a gastroenterologist, ear nose and throat and general surgery. Moore also suggested that there is talk of adding a chiropractor to the team, and a nurse will be on site as well.

The idea behind the medical center, according to Watkins, is so that patients can come and see the general practitioner, and if they need any lab work or to see a specialist, everything is right in the same complex.

"The motto would be one stop shopping for your medical health," Watkins said.

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The health center also plans to offer extended hours, Moore said, on evenings and weekends.

"When a physicians office is closed they can go to this after-hours medical care and be seen," Watkins said.

Watkins added that the office would provide care for children, women's health, mental health, sports and employment physicals.

According to Watkins, one of the other main goals of the center is to promote preventative care. They will be offering many education classes that focus on the young. In addition to the health education classes, smoking cessation classes will be available.

According to Moore, the location of the building on U.S. Route 27 will give the residents in the area a better opportunity for medical services.

"Most of it will be catered to the Ross, Ohio area," Moore said. "They don't really have any fairly close services."

Watkins believes that the services that the health care center will provide care for all aspects of the community, including those with full-time jobs and people without insurance.

"Our focus will be on giving the best quality effective care possible to the community," Watkins said. "From newborn to the elderly."