(Logo - Memorial Health System)

BELPRE — Memorial Health System is hosting the groundbreaking of the upcoming Women and Children’s Hospital at the Belpre Medical Campus on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

The event is open to the public and offers performances from local high schools, light refreshments and guest speakers beginning at 2 p.m.

Joining the celebration are what Memorial Health System calls “key stakeholders” in its recent growth and development. These guests include U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, Gov. Mike DeWine and State Representative Jay Edwards, who contributed $30 million from the State of Ohio toward the Women and Children’s Hospital.

In addition to the state of Ohio’s contribution, Memorial Health System and Akron Children’s contributed an additional $40 million toward the growth of this region’s only specialized women and children’s healthcare hub.

For those planning to attend, Memorial Health Systems asks that guests familiarize themselves with security and parking protocols at the health system’s website, mhsystem.org/Groundbreaking. The health system anticipates a large local police presence along with state and federal law enforcement.

Parking on the Belpre Medical Campus will be reserved for patients only. There will be no onsite parking available for guests attending the groundbreaking, however, offsite parking will be available at Belpre Church of Christ and Rockland United Methodist Church with free shuttle services to the campus.

In a recent release, Memorial Health System said: “(We) are not only proud but thrilled to see the vision of the hospital finally becoming a reality after years of noticing the urgent need for specialized OBGYN and pediatric services in the region.”

Statistics from the release say that between 2021-2023, the health system saw a 23% increase in NICU infants requiring care outside of the service area, which is between 50-100 miles away. This was a jump from 70% of infants requiring transport to 93% requiring transport. The health system also noted 216 OBGYN patients who sought care outside of the service area due to high-risk pregnancies and other OGBYN-related conditions.