News

I don't have to look far into our 113-year history to see that Ashtabula County Medical Center (ACMC) has a history of meeting the health needs of our community. Here is a brief recap of how we have grown within the past nine years:

• 2008: The Cleveland Clinic Cardiac Catheterization Lab at ACMC opens.

• 2009: The ACMC Wound Healing Center opens.

• 2010: Glenbeigh opens the Women's Extended Treatment Facility.

• 2011: ACMC takes on oncology and hematology services after another provider leaves the community.

• 2012: New technology in diagnostics and gastroenterology gives ACMC some of the most technologically advanced testing equipment in our area.

• 2013: Glenbeigh opens the Men's Extended Treatment Facility.

• 2014: Conneaut Family Health Center opens; Jefferson Family Health Center doubles in size—both offer lab, x-ray, ACMC Express Care and family physicians; Conneaut offers mammography.

• 2014: Harbor Family Health Center opens, offering family practice providers and laboratory services.

• 2015: ACMC begins Express Care in Ashtabula.

• 2015: ACMC Center for Heart Care opens to provide better access to cardiologists, treatment and rehabilitation.

• 2016: ACMC purchases Ashtabula Plaza to provide space for additional services.

• 2016: Geneva Family Health Center opens with family practice, Express Care, lab, and specialty providers.

• 2016: ACMC expands oncology and infusion services with state-of-the-art oncology pharmacy and larger treatment area.

• 2017: Glenbeigh breaks ground on $3 million residential extended care expansion.

Each of these additions and expansions have been made with one group of people in mind—our patients. When I came to ACMC five years ago, I knew that my new Ashtabula County friends and neighbors were tired of driving out of the area for medical care. I told our board that I was committed to bringing physicians and technology to our patients—not the other way around. I'm still committed to that. When you are sick, frightened and worried about your health or the health of a loved one, you don't need the hassle and stress of a long drive. I also believe basic healthcare needs should be met in our own communities. That is why we added medical services in Ashtabula Harbor, Conneaut and Geneva and why we doubled the size of our Family Health Center in Jefferson—to meet the increasing health needs in the central part of the county.

Fast, affordable care

We also set out to save our patients money while getting them quick diagnosis and treatment for minor illnesses and injuries. We opened four Express Care offices in Ashtabula, Conneaut, Geneva and Jefferson staffed with nurse practitioners. They see patients six days a week on a walk-in basis. A visit to Express Care has the same co-pay as a physician office visit, saving you money and time over Urgent Care or the Emergency Department.

For our strategy to be successful, we had to recruit expert providers and give them the equipment they need to diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries. It has also meant strengthening our affiliation with Cleveland Clinic. ACMC now offers a dozen Cleveland Clinic specialists who see patients at ACMC. Several of them are here in Ashtabula County full-time, while others rotate between here and Cleveland Clinic.

I am most proud of the fact that we are improving patient care and access for our youngest patients. We now offer Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Endocrinology and Pediatric Gastroenterology at ACMC, provided by specialists from Cleveland Clinic Children's. You may not have heard, but Cleveland Clinic Children's was ranked in most specialties as one of America's Best Children's Hospitals—and we offer that level of care here at ACMC.

You can read more about our wonderful providers, new equipment, expansion and more in this issue of ACMC Pulse. When I see all that we have accomplished and look ahead to what we are planning for the next few years, I see one consistent message: ACMC provides world-class healthcare in our communities today and will continue that tomorrow and beyond.