Xenia city officials voiced dissatisfaction with the proposal, which they characterized as a reduction of services that would force Greene County residents outside county limits to find health care.
City Manager Brent Merriman said Tuesday that the city and health care network have not had any recent discussions regarding Greene Memorial.
“While the city has not had formal conversations with (Kettering Health Network) about their new plans, we are generally aware of their intentions,” Merriman said in a prepared statement. “We agree with Kettering Health leadership that Xenia and eastern Greene County are underserved and additional primary care combined with a continuing hospital presence are warranted.”
City and hospital representatives did not return requests for additional information.
Under the new plan announced Monday, Kettering Health will invest $10 million in Greene Memorial hospital while also building a $26 million outpatient health center on Progress Drive across from the YMCA.
The 24,000-square-foot health center will offer primary care, on-demand walk-in care, lab services and imaging, according to Kettering Health.
Kettering Health Greene Memorial will continue to offer 24/7 emergency and inpatient care.
“We remain committed to addressing the local shortage of primary care and specialist physicians in Xenia,” said Ron Connovich, president of Kettering Health Medical Group. We want to move forward and have a prioritized investing resources to meet the most pressing health care needs of the community."
The outpatient health center requires approval from the city of Xenia.
Time frames for the hospital renovation or the health center have not been finalized, a Kettering Health spokesperson said.
In an August 2024 letter to Kettering Health Network, Merriman and then Mayor Sarah Mays proposed an “exit ramp” for the network which would have transitioned ownership of Kettering Health Greene Memorial to the city.
The letter cited a “decade of inaction and unfulfilled promises” by the hospital network, cutting of services, and a continuous drain of resources and health care jobs from Xenia to other Kettering Health locations.
Kettering Health Greene Memorial was previously supported by two levies which expired in 2021 and 2022.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
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