CIRCLEVILLE, OH – OhioHealth Berger Hospital has completed its phased reopening and is now fully functioning and operating as normal following a smoke incident that prompted a precautionary closure on Tuesday, June 18, 2025, with the final update released at 4:05 PM EDT on Monday, June 23, 2025. The incident, caused by an overheating pump in the basement, led to an initial evacuation, but the hospital has since restored all services with the assistance of staff and remediation experts.
The reopening process began with the emergency department and inpatient units, including maternity, resuming care on Thursday, June 19. The surgery department reopened on an emergent basis on Friday, June 20, and operated in that capacity through Sunday, June 22. Full operations were officially restored at 7:00 a.m. EDT today, Monday, June 23, marking the hospital’s return to normalcy.
The phased approach started with the emergency department restarting at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, followed by inpatient services, scheduled provider office visits, and the Quest lab opening on Friday. Hospital-based outpatient services, which had remained closed, are now also fully operational. Patients affected by earlier closures were contacted via phone or MyChart to reschedule, and support is available by calling 614-566-1111 for scheduling or 614-566-5708 for customer experience inquiries.
