SYLVANIA TOWNSHIP, OH (WTOL) - It used to be the site of Central Elementary School at the corner of Central Avenue and King Road in Sylvania Township.
Now, it's home to the Toledo area's second free-standing emergency room.
The Mercy Health Sylvania Medical Center is 18,000 square feet and has twelve exam rooms.
Emergency care services are fully operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Patients receive the same quality of care they would receive at an inpatient hospital setting.
"It's really an extension of the work we've been doing in our hospitals, going into the community without necessarily having a hospital at the site. Being able to have access for the community so they can get in and out easily from the emergency room," said Mercy President and CEO Dr. Imran Andrabi.
This $14 million free standing E.R. is a growing trend in the medical world.
Operating one generally costs less than one connected to a hospital.
But will that translate to lower bills for patients?
"I think what it will do is make the experience of care much better, make access much better and ultimately have lower costs compared to what you would expect to see in the traditional health care system," said Dr. Andrabi.
The past is connected to the present here too.
A memorial garden honors the legacy of Central Elementary School, including the building's original keystone.
"This is a park setting where people are welcome to come by at any point in time to reflect back on what used to be here," said Dr. Chris Goliver of the center.
The center opens on Monday.
