Rookwood Medical Center Brings Emergency Care to the Community Setting

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Mercy Health celebrates the completion of the Rookwood Medical Center, a new 26,000-square-foot freestanding emergency department and outpatient center located on a highly visible site along the Interstate 71 corridor north of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.

This is the first of several facility expansion and renewal projects undertaken by Mercy Health in collaboration with architect Mic Johnson, FAIA; each of these projects combines context and culture to create architecture that enhances the delivery of care and transforms the patient and caregiver experience.

According to Johnson, “The Mercy Health – Rookwood Medical Center demonstrates how healthcare architecture can equally serve provider, caregiver, patient, family and community needs. The building design capitalizes on its prominent site with a colorful exterior that reflects the Mercy Health brand and provides a memorable image for the thousands of people who pass by every day. At the same time, a plan that is highly functional and grounded in evidence supports staff comfort and safety, and allows them to provide excellent care to the people of Cincinnati.”

At the street level, transparency and a brightly lit and intuitive entry sequence engages patients and the community, providing a new edge for the neighborhood. The overall aesthetic is comfortable and welcoming to patients, family and staff alike, imparting a sense of beauty, delight and presence.

“The new Rookwood Medical Center wraps easily accessible quality care in a memorable exterior,” says Yousuf J. Ahmad, president and CEO of Mercy Health. “The project reinforces the Mercy Health brand and vision of making healthcare easy by bringing emergency services into the community so residents can get the help they need in minutes, not miles.”

The design concept for the Rookwood Medical Center was developed by Mic Johnson, founder of Architecture Field Office, while design principal with AECOM. The project was subsequently delivered via a design-build process led by the Cincinnati offices of Skanska and GBBN Architects. The Rookwood Medical Center opened to patients on July 2.

Image courtesy of Scott Pease / Pease Photography, 2013.