At the time when Alecto closed East Ohio Regional Hospital in late September 2019, Martins Ferry Councilman Jack Regis believed there would be a quick transition to a new medical provider.
That, however, did not happen.
Instead, EORH was gutted of all operational equipment and supplies, and the broken machines were left behind by the former provider. Once Dayton-based Dr. John Johnson purchased the property from MPT LLC, Bernie Albertini was hired as chief operating officer, and the transformation began in April 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic.
“I did get worried about whether or not the hospital would ever reopen because a lot of time had passed with no movement whatsoever,” Regis recalled. “At first, I thought there would be an 11th hour development that would keep it open, but that didn’t happen. Then I thought for sure someone would move in soon after the closure, but it just kept dragging, and I did start thinking that Martins Ferry had lost its hospital for good.
“I give a lot of credit to our former mayor (Bob Krajnyak) and our current mayor, John Davies. Once there was interest shown in the hospital, those two didn’t sit around and wait for it to come to them. They were very proactive and kept that conversation going so the city could know what we had to do to make it work,” he said. “And that’s what took place.”
An Improved Economy
Albertini addressed the infrastructure of the buildings immediately, and he assessed what equipment and supplies would be needed for EORH’s resurrection. The heating and cooling systems were antiquated and needed replaced, the interior had to be renovated for Dr. Johnson’s plans, state and federal standards had to be satisfied, and more than 350 employees were interviewed and hired.
Then, during the first week of February East Ohio Regional Hospital reopened, and Regis has witnessed since several positive impacts take place in the city of Martins Ferry.
“The biggest impacts have been on the local businesses that we have here in Martins Ferry,” the councilman said. “The McDonald’s and the other restaurants downtown have seen a lot more people, and some of the other businesses have seen it pick up since the hospital reopened. It’s been a big positive for Martins Ferry.
“It’s also been nice to have the emergency room open again because accidents do happen, and, for a while there, that kind of care was either in Wheeling or down in Glen Dale,” he said. “I think that it’s given our residents that piece of mind again, and that’s really important to our residents.”
Especially when considering the 6.5-mile trip from Martins Ferry to Wheeling Hospital had been significantly extended because of the closure of the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 in Ohio County.
“The timing of the reopening was perfect because of the ongoing work that’s taking place right now on I-70. Trying to travel eastbound right now is a nightmare,” Regis explained. “It’s going to be a while until we see any daylight with that interstate because of how extensive the projects are, so it’s a great thing that the residents of Martins Ferry don’t have to worry about that any longer.
“But Mr. Albertini and Dr. Johnson are very community minded, and they did everything they could to get the hospital reopened as quickly as possible. When it comes to a hospital, there are a lot of regulations that have to be met, but they navigated that process very well,” he continued. “And I know they have more plans to help the community, and compared to what we had before, it’s refreshing.”
Growth and Quality Care
The hospital’s reopening was accompanied by the resurrection of Martins Ferry’s EMS crews for transports, and Regis explained the development of those services has progressed smoothly thanks to the cooperation offered by Albertini.
“We have been working out some bugs with our EMS crew for the transports, but working with the people at the hospital has been great,” Regis said. “We have worked with Bernie (Albertini) in the past, and he’s a terrific person to work with. We all have that common goal of making it work in a way that is best for the people in the city.
“They have hired a lot of people to get it open, and there’s more that will come available over time,” he said. “I know Dr. (John) Johnson has a lot of plans for the hospital that are based on the needs right now, and I just think that’s great. You can see something new almost every day and that’s made a lot of people in Martins Ferry very happy.”
Regis, Mayor John Davis, and the Council members in Martins Ferry approved in July a tax credit program for EORH that will return 75 percent of all income taxes collected from the hospital’s employees for 10 years. The funds, according to Albertini, will be directed toward the replacements of the facility’s HVAC systems and several windows.
One conversation, Regis explained, made the tax agreement worth ever dime in his mind.
“I have heard nothing but positive reactions from the people of Martins Ferry,” Regis said. “In fact, I had a lady come to speak with me the other day, and she told me that she had a terrific experience with a doctor at East Ohio, and she said that doctor had to be the kindest doctor she ever encountered in her life. She said the doctor explained everything about the tests and answered every one of her questions.
“The doctor told her that he didn’t want to leave the hospital with any questions,” the councilman added. “She told me that she had never experienced a doctor’s appointment like that before, and that was so good to hear. What she described is what all of us want to experience when we’re at the hospital.”
