LMH discusses plans for downtown projects

• Licking Memorial Health Systems is hoping to expand its presence in downtown Newark this year with several new projects.
• One possible project is an urgent care or doctors office in downtown Newark.
• LMHS is also planning to have a presence at the new Canal Market, as well as at Washington Square Apartments.

NEWARK – Licking Memorial Health Systems is hoping to expand its presence in downtown Newark this year with several new projects, President and CEO Rob Montagnese announced Tuesday at the hospital's first corporate breakfast of 2016.

One of the largest initiatives — which Montagnese jokingly referred to as the "worst kept secret we've had in the community" — likely will be a building across from the Jerry McClain Company at the intersection of North Fourth and West Locust streets.

An urgent care center or a primary care office both are possibilities for the space, he said.

Montagnese emphasized the final plans and budget haven't been approved but said he hopes to make the official announcement later this month.

If things work out, the hospital would like to be in that space sometime this year, he added.

LMH has several urgent care facilities in the county, including locations in Pataskala and Granville.

"We had been looking for something further east," he said.

The Granville location currently serves an average of 60 to 65 patients a day, Montagnese said.

"It's a big number," he said. "We felt bringing an urgent care location to a more centralized area made a lot of sense."

Montagnese also announced the hospital is hoping to have a presence at the Canal Market downtown to try to get more fresh fruits and vegetables to city residents.

LMH staff members also will begin a partnership with Washington Square Apartments. Nurses and other staff members will rotate into the complex to answer medical questions and provide basic care in an effort to address medical concerns early before they result in a trip to the emergency room, he said.

Many of the residents there are senior citizens who have limited access to transportation and it might be difficult for them to travel to a doctor's office, he said.

Those downtown projects will help meet the needs of area residents while also helping to improve and revitalize the area, Montagnese said.

"We feel our presence is important to that endeavor," he said.

At Tuesday's breakfast, Montagnese also shared some of the hospital's accomplishments in 2015 — which was his 10th year as LMH's CEO and president — before talking about some of the hospital's additional plans for 2016.

The hospital is working on the LMHS Medical Office Building on West Main Street, which will house the Center for Sight and several orthopedic surgeons. The building likely will open in August, he said.

LMH also is planning to launch another ActiveFit program geared toward ages 60 and older. The program will be similar to LMH's ActiveFit program for children ages 6 to 12, which encourages participants to set goals and track them using a website.

ajeffries@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8544

Twitter: @amsjeffries