CIRCLEVILLE — Executives from OhioHealth Berger Hospital visited Circleville City Council on Tuesday night with a clear message: the partnership formed in 2019 is not just meeting expectations—it is exceeding them.
John Edgar, Chair of the Lease Oversight Board, and Casey Liddy, President of OhioHealth Berger, presented a “balanced scorecard” that ranks the local hospital at or near the top of the entire OhioHealth system in terms of culture, service, and medical quality.
A “Good Story” Since 2019
The presentation served as a progress report on the lease agreement established when Berger joined the OhioHealth system. Edgar noted that things are going so smoothly that the Oversight Board, which usually meets quarterly, has decided to scale back to once-a-year meetings.
“Berger is leading the pack of all OhioHealth hospitals in their system right now,” Edgar told Council. “It’s an amazing story from where we were back in 2019.”
Modernizing the Patient Experience
Casey Liddy highlighted several major capital projects aimed at bringing the facility up to “modern OhioHealth standards.”
- Surgery Renovations: A long-awaited renovation of the pre- and post-surgery areas is slated for completion this summer. The project replaces curtained partitions with private, walled rooms and includes a quiet, modernized waiting area for families.
- Advanced Imaging: Liddy showcased two brand-new mammography units—one at the main hospital and one at the health center near Walmart. The $1 million project was made possible by $400,000 in local community donations.
- Economic Impact: The hospital continues to exceed its lease commitment of $610,000 in annual tax revenue back to the city, maintaining steady local employment levels.
Recruiting Top Talent
Addressing a historical challenge for community hospitals, Liddy introduced a wave of new specialists who have joined the Berger team in the last year. New faces include:
- Dr. Patel (Endocrinology)
- Dr. Boleratz (OBGYN), bringing the local team to four providers.
- Urology Rotation: In a win for the “system” model, Berger now utilizes a rotation of three urologists from Grant Medical Center to ensure the specialty is always covered locally.
- Upcoming Hires: Two new surgeons are expected to arrive this summer to replace retiring long-time physicians.
Strength in Crisis
The meeting included a moment of reflection on the hospital’s resilience. Mayor Michelle Blanton and Council members recalled a “smoke in the basement” incident last summer that triggered a massive response. Liddy thanked the 30 agencies from five counties that arrived to assist, noting that the hospital was back to full operations in under 48 hours.
“I don’t know that we’d have a hospital that survived COVID unless we were partnered with OhioHealth,” President Keller noted, praising the stability the larger system provided during the pandemic.
Council Praise
Council members expressed their gratitude for the hospital’s transparency and commitment. “You have outdone yourselves,” one member remarked, thanking the hospital for fulfilling promises to invest in both doctors and the physical facility.
A Councilmember also offered a personal note of thanks, praising the “dynamic” care his wife recently received during an orthopedic procedure at the hospital.
The presentation concluded at 7:27 PM, with Council members noting that the trust between the community and its hospital has never been stronger.
