SHELBY — OhioHealth Shelby Hospital officially celebrated the renovation of the hospital’s front entrances and lobbies with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday afternoon.
The renovations were made possible thanks to financial contributions from the Shelby Memorial Hospital Foundation and the late Polly Neer’s estate. Construction was completed by the Adena Corporation on June 30 after a quick five-month turnaround.
“We felt it was necessary to renovate our first impression – literally, the front door,” said Jean Halpin, president of OhioHealth Mansfield and Shelby Hospitals. “We are the front door to OhioHealth in this system; as people start here, sometimes they have to go to a higher level of care, but they can come back and recover right in their backyard.”
The goal of the renovations was to create a more welcoming atmosphere at the entryways to both the main entrance of OhioHealth Shelby Hospital and to the emergency department, which sees approximately 10,000 patients per year. The renovation also clearly separated the entrances to both departments.
“Our passion is about keeping care local, and allowing the residents of Shelby and the surrounding communities to be connected to both inpatient and outpatient care,” Halpin said.
This particular building has a storied history in the city of Shelby. Originally named Shelby Memorial Hospital, the institution will celebrate its 100th birthday in the year 2021, according to Bob Turner of the Shelby Memorial Hospital Foundation.
“It’s a legacy of people like Polly Neer and her family, who have donated money for 100 years,” Turner said. “We hope the positive momentum continues, and we’re very proud to have this hospital in our community.”
Shelby Mayor Steve Schag recalled the hospital still bore the name Shelby Memorial Hospital when he arrived to the city in 1981.
“The very name memorialized the sacrificial investments that made modernized healthcare provisions possible for residents in and around the city of Shelby,” Schag said.
“It is certainly gratifying to see that the spirit of philanthropy that produces notable community improvements still lives on, and that lasting legacies are still making positive impacts in the lives of our citizens today.”
