It's official: The Bluffton Hospital multi-million dollar ER/OR renovation and expansion is underway.

With a ceremonial tossing of dirt by Isabelle, James S. and John West, on April 8, the project began. Following the West family, Ropp Triplett tossed a shovel of dirt at Bill Watkins, Bluffton Hospital chief administrative officer. Ropp and Mary Emma Triplett served as campaign co-chairs.

The project will create new, much needed space for Bluffton Hospital's emergency and surgery departments, as well as add professional/medical office space.

o The current Emergency Department was built in 1988 to accommodate 3,600 patients each year. In 2009, the ER cared for more than 5,500 patients.
o The current Surgery Department was built in 1988 to accommodate 750 patients each year. In 2009, more than 2,000 surgeries took place.
o The Bluffton community has a shortage of professional office space (especially for physicians' offices) and cannot accommodate the growing number of medical specialties in the village.

The expansion/renovation will create:

o An Emergency Department that can care for more than 7,000 patients per year, focusing on more private treatment areas;
o An expanded Surgery Department to accommodate more than 2,500 surgeries per year;
o A new emergency and surgery registration and support area to accommodate patient identification and privacy; and
o Professional/medical office space.

Almost $1 million has been donated by Bluffton Hospital associates, physicians and community members.

The Isabelle West family pledged the lead gift to the project in honor of Mrs. West and her late husband, James F. West, and their longstanding commitment to Bluffton Hospital and the community.

Earlier this spring Bluffton Hospital has chosen Charles Construction Services of Findlay as the general contractor for the project.

The following are introduction remarks by Watkins made at the groundbreaking:

Welcome:
Good Afternoon, I am Bill Watkins Chief Administrative Officer of Bluffton Hospital. It is my pleasure to welcome you, our speakers, and each of you as distinguished guests to this celebration:

What is a..groundbreaking?

One definition is...."A celebration of / or Introduction of Stylistically Innovative Works."
Stylistically = consistent with rules of style.
Innovative = to begin or introduce something new.
Works = Produced as a result of effort.

What we are also celebrating today is a reinvestment by Bluffton Hospital and the Blanchard Valley Health System in its mission to provide a broad continuum of exceptional health related services in northwest Ohio. A reinvestment of health care dollars earned within the communities it serves - retaining local access to quality healthcare services.

There is a reinvestment that also comes from the community as we are particularly grateful to the James and Isabelle West family for their lead gift, to Ropp and Mary Emma Triplett for being co-chairs of the capital campaign and the entire campaign cabinet.

It would be remiss of me not to recognize the medical staff, the associates and the auxiliary who not only give their time and talent, but made a strong commitment to this project.

Then there is the reinvestment by the larger Bluffton area through their gifts/commitments and those commitments continue to evolve. We also celebrate a strong statement made by more than 38,000 patients who actively chose and rely on the Bluffton Hospital locations and services to meet their healthcare needs.