Breaking Ground to Build on Successes Through Regionalism

Golden shovels lined the grass and the sun appeared just in time for Northeast Ohio Medical University and Bio-Med Science Academy’s groundbreaking ceremony, held Monday, April 29.

The ceremony celebrated what will soon be a new, $24 million, 87,000 square-foot medical office building and academic learning center. The new facility will include medical offices, a patient-simulation center and the new home to Bio-Med Science Academy. The University also announced that $12 million in renovations and development will take place in the south corridor of its main building and on the fourth floor of its Research and Graduate Education (RGE) Building.

The $36 million cost represents just a portion of what amounts to a total investment of more than $200 million in NEOMED’s campus ― the result of which includes the 270,000 square-foot Village at NEOMED (campus housing) and the RGE building (both completed in 2013) and the 177,000 square-foot NEOMED Education and Wellness (NEW) Center (which opened in 2014).

The new medical office building will double the size of Wasson Center for Clinical Skills Training, Assessment, and Scholarship, which trains health sciences students and professionals from throughout Northeast Ohio. The building will also provide space for one or more clinical partners.

Partnering to build on success

NEOMED President Jay A. Gershen, D.D.S., Ph.D., greeted the crowd assembled for the groundbreaking and acknowledged the collaboration of public, private and civic officials, whose advocacy and support made the expansion possible.

Reps. Randi Clites and Don Manning attended, as did Portage County Commissioner Sabrina Christian-Bennett and staff from the offices of Congressman Anthony Gonzalez and Senator Rob Portman. Senator John Eklund, whose district includes all of Portage County, spoke at the ceremony about NEOMED and Bio-Med Science Academy’s accomplishments and successes yet to come.

Representatives from both NEOMED and Bio-Med Science Academy, including Bio-Med Chief Administrative Officer Stephanie Lammlein; University supporters; and many others joined together Monday afternoon to celebrate the idea of building on success and building on regionalism.

NEOMED Board of Trustees member Rick McQueen said in his remarks that the project is “the result of being patient-center and community-based, engaging in public-private partnerships, and being at the epicenter of a region that thrives in health care, research and education.”

Construction is expected to be completed by September 2020.