Major component in UH’s Expansion Plans for Easily Accessible, Patient-centered Facilities
CLEVELAND (September 28, 2007) -- With the turn of a ceremonial shovel, University Hospitals officials, with the company of several public officials including Senators Sherrod Brown and George Voinovich and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, will begin the transformation of a 53-acre field in Beachwood into a model showcase for 21st Century health care. UH will break ground on Sept. 28 at 4:30 p.m. for The Ahuja Medical Center, a new 600-bed hospital, with the first phase expected to be completed in 2010.
The new medical center will be named in honor of Monte and Usha Ahuja and their family for their extraordinary generosity. The Ahuja family committed $30 million to University Hospitals, the largest gift in the hospital’s 141-year history. The first phase of the Ahuja Medical Center will be part of a $244 million health care campus that UH is building near the intersection of Interstate 271 and Harvard Road. The hospital and campus are major components of UH’s $1.2 billion Vision 2010 strategic plan.
Thomas F. Zenty III, Chief Executive Officer of UH, said, “Monte Ahuja served as chair of the UH Board of Directors strategic planning task force which led to the development of Vision 2010. Our new hospital is aptly named to honor his leadership and contributions that will sustain the vitality of UH for future generations, and will contribute to the strength of Northeast Ohio as a whole.”
The Ahuja Medical Center will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and an opportunity for Greater Cleveland to reaffirm its national leadership position in the health care industry.
"The region along I-271, I-480 and Route 422 has seen population expansion over the past decade. The location we have selected for our newest world-class Center for Health is conveniently located to provide state-of-the-art healthcare services for our patients in the surrounding communities," said Zenty “Our reach as a hospital system continues to grow throughout the region, and this new center will allow us to better serve our patients.”
UH expects to draw patients for its new, suburban hospital from Cuyahoga County’s eastern suburbs, and from growing communities in northern Summit and southern Cuyahoga counties, as well as Portage and Geauga counties.
“In addition to its convenient location, the new hospital will feature eco-friendly design elements that put the focus on an optimal experience in a safe and secure environment for our patients, their families, and our employees,” said Steven Standley, Senior Vice President System Services at UH. “By incorporating the newest technology and innovative concepts including therapeutic lighting, music and healing gardens, we will offer our patients the highest quality of care which they have come to expect and receive from UH," added Standley.
Ahuja is chairman and chief executive officer of Walton Hills-based Transtar Industries, Inc., the leading worldwide distributor of original equipment quality transmission parts to the motor vehicle repair industry.
Ahuja, his wife Usha, and family members, daughters Ritu Ahuja and Manisha Sethi, son-in-law Neil Sethi and grandson Rohan, will participate in the ceremonial groundbreaking. Joining them will be the Honorable Sherrod Brown, the Honorable George Voinovich, the Honorable Merle S. Gorden, Mayor of Beachwood, Sheldon Adelman, Chairman of the UH Development Committee; Thomas Zenty III, Chief Executive Officer, UH; Achilles Demetriou, M.D., FACS, President, UH; James Benedict, Senior Vice President, Ambulatory Operations, UH; and Steven Standley, Senior Vice President System Services, UH.