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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 16, 2005
Contact: Holly Smith Voltz, senior communications consultant
hvoltz@genesishcs.org
(740) 454-5913
Services to be Housed in Former Big Bear Announced
Genesis HealthCare System officials have announced plans for outpatient services to be housed in the former Big Bear building on Maple Avenue in Zanesville. In October 2004, Genesis announced the organization was leasing the building to serve as office space for several staff members and outpatient services, which were not identified at the time.
The organization has completed an evaluation of potential outpatient services that could be located in the building and is now releasing more details. The building, which is being renamed the Genesis HealthPlex on Maple, will be the new location for outpatient imaging services, urgent care, occupational health, a women’s resource center, laboratory draw center and community health education offered by the hospital.
“Leasing of the building will help to solve two identified needs – improving parking around Genesis-Good Samaritan and providing more convenient access for some of our outpatient services,” stated Tom Sieber, Genesis president & chief executive officer.”
More than 100 Genesis personnel will relocate from in or near Genesis-Good Samaritan to the Genesis HealthPlex, enabling the organization to raze two buildings near Good Samaritan and use the vacated ground for additional parking.
“Parking at Good Samaritan is extremely tight for our patients, visitors and staff. We have studied several options to improve the situation, and the additional parking spaces we’ll gain with this effort will be a huge step toward solving the problem,” stated Sieber.
For outpatient services, Genesis’ goal is to offer best-in-class services, recognized for high quality care, convenience and top-rate customer service.
“We are focusing our energy on creating the ultimate customer experience for our patients. Every decision we make, from the building design to the service features, centers on meeting customers’ expectations,” Sieber added.
Outpatient centers of this type are common across the country and are well received by the communities in which they are located. Genesis personnel are evaluating some of the most successful sites and using this information, with sensitivity to the specific needs of the local community, to create the ultimate customer experience for outpatient services.
The services that will be available at the Genesis HealthPlex have been offered by Genesis for many years, but receiving these services outside of the hospital walls, in more of a retail setting, will be new for the community.
Genesis has used a similar approach in outlying communities. “We currently provide some outpatient services at similar sites in Cambridge and New Concord. But this is the first comprehensive outpatient services facility in Zanesville,” stated Sieber.
Sieber added that the centers support the organization’s strategy to provide convenient access to Genesis services by placing commonly used services in the individual communities. Each outpatient center site is tailored to the needs of the area in which it is located.
“We do not use a cookie-cutter approach when determining what services to provide at our outpatient centers. Instead we look at the needs of the respective community and include services that will best meet the community’s needs,” Sieber added.
The organization has not yet finalized a timeline for opening. Building renovations are underway, and services will begin to be offered at the site in phases. The first phase is expected to be complete late this summer, with the final opening phase occurring in the fall. The organization will release additional details of its plans as they are finalized.
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