Akron Children’s Beeghly Campus to Mark 5 Years
BOARDMAN, Ohio -- The Beeghly campus of Akron Children’s Hospital is celebrating its fifth anniversary next month as the only free-standing pediatric hospital in the area. The campus opened in 2008 to provide a fuller range of services near residents of the Mahoning Valley by specially educated pediatric staff.
The community is invited to join the anniversary celebration at its annual tree lighting at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 5. The celebration is free and open to the public to enjoy cocoa, cookies, carols and the lighting of the tree. Among the activities for children are cookie and ornament decorating, crafts, coloring, face painting and a visit from Santa Claus.
When the Beeghly campus opened, it provided inpatient services, a 24/7 pediatric emergency room, laboratory and radiology services supported by pharmacy, and rehabilitative therapies. Since then, it has expanded to encompass a full range of services such as primary care, hematology and oncology, and surgical and advocacy. By the end of 2012, Akron Children’s presence had grown to 545 employees at six sites in the Mahoning Valley.
“As I look back over the last five years, I am amazed at the growth of programs and services that we are providing,” said Sharon Hrina, vice president of Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley. “The Beeghly campus now functions as the hub for other programs and services offered at hospital sites throughout the Valley, including our pediatric subspecialists; the community outreach, education and support center, our pediatric practices in Warren and on the Beeghly campus, and the pediatric unit we operate at East Liverpool City Hospital.”
Since the hospital opened, it has cared for the community in many ways, such as 117,226 emergency visits, 97,953 specialty visits, 88,797 primary care visits, 49,387 outpatient visits, 23,083 outpatient radiology procedures and 3,881 surgeries.
Not only has the breadth and depth of the hospital’s services grown since its doors opened five years ago, so has its support from the community, Hrina said. It was philanthropic support that led to the opening of the Ronald McDonald McFamily Respite Center in 2009, the Garden of Hope and the Kikel Center for Pediatric Surgery in 2010, and Alex’s Playground in 2012. Since 2008, more than $9.3 million has been donated in support of Mahoning Valley programs and services.
“As we celebrate our time in the Valley and look to a bright future, we will continue to use Akron Children’s guiding principles in every decision we make: to treat each child as our own, to never turn a child away because of a family’s inability to pay, and to treat others as we’d want to be treated,” Hrina said. “We are deeply grateful to the Mahoning Valley community for supporting us throughout the years and we look forward to caring for families here for generations to come.”
SOURCE: Akron Children's Hospital Mahoning Valley.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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