With beautiful open spaces, floor-to-ceiling windows and state-of-the-art technology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s new University Hospital, opening in early 2026, will significantly improve inpatient clinical care in central Ohio.
The region’s population has experienced a 15% increase over the last decade and is expected to grow by another 1 million people by 2050. To ensure that the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center can continue providing the highest levels of care to central Ohioans for years to come, the new 26-story tower includes a threefold increase in critical care beds, more robust infrastructure and technology that rivals the most advanced hospital facilities in the nation.
Designed to maximize natural healing environments
Each of the 820 large inpatient rooms is spacious, bright and features floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views of downtown Columbus, green parks and historic Ohio Stadium.
“Exposure to natural light improves healing and recovery by keeping patients consistent with the rhythm of their natural day-night cycle. The amount of light coming in through those windows is massive,” says Naeem Ali, MD, the medical director of University Hospital and a pulmonologist and critical care physician.
Every patient room is private and includes a private bathroom, a family zone and a state-of-the-art digital entertainment system. Patients and families can also access a conservatory space with an adjacent half-acre outdoor terrace and a sanctuary for reflection and multi-faith worship.
Increased space and infrastructure improve clinical care
More space doesn’t just provide more comfort. Clinical teams have more room to accommodate today’s care needs. Larger operating rooms are designed to house new technologies, including robotics and laser technologies.
“The massive expansion of robotic surgeries has challenged how much space and equipment we need. These rooms are built with expansion in mind,” Dr. Ali says.
The 24 new operating rooms are also designed to handle multispecialty surgeries. Instead of having specialists file into a procedure one at a time, each team can have its own zone and equipment area. For example, in a head and neck cancer procedure, a head and neck surgeon, a vascular surgeon and a neurosurgeon can all coordinate a complicated surgery simultaneously.
The new Ohio State University Hospital houses two state-of-the-art hybrid operating rooms for the Comprehensive Stroke Program, and a pod of eight ORs for additional neurological and orthopedic cases.
“Interdisciplinary surgeries are often one of the reasons doctors refer patients to Ohio State, and while we were previously limited in the number of those cases we could do, this is going to triple that capacity,” Dr. Ali says.
ORs are equipped with new technology, including green lighting options, which reduce glare and improve visual acuity for surgeons, particularly during minimally invasive procedures.
As the only Level IV maternity care hospital in central Ohio, the hospital was also designed with four state-of-the-art operating rooms for cesarean births and 18 private rooms for people who may need evaluation and treatment for a medical, surgical or pregnancy-related complication.
Providing the highest levels of critical care in the region
The new University Hospital features 180 critical care beds as well as additional critical care beds for specific services, like cancer, neurosciences and transplant. And three additional floors are designed to fully transition to critical care in the future, if necessary.
Besides significantly increasing critical care capacity, the units are supported by robust diagnostic, procedural and support services to provide the highest level of care in central Ohio.
Features include:
- A helipad for direct transport of critical care patients
- Proximate imaging CT, as well as portable imaging devices
- Proximate heart services for echo and vascular studies, inpatient pharmacy services and respiratory therapy services
- Ten interventional radiology suites for advanced imaging-guided procedures
- Six endoscopy rooms and four bronchoscopy rooms to support a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
- Each floor features two bariatric rooms, specially designed to accommodate the needs and dignity of bariatric patients
Improving technology
The new University Hospital features significantly enhanced technology. Modern, medical-grade Wi-Fi networks, and the necessary technology infrastructure to practice modern medicine, such as overhead booms housing medical equipment and smart beds in every room, will significantly improve patients’ clinical experience.
Each inpatient room includes a 75-inch footwall video monitor that patients can use for entertainment, communicating with loved ones and telehealth visits with clinicians who aren’t on-site.
“The video technology will help us bring physician expertise to the patient more seamlessly because there’s going to be much better engagement when they can pop into the room faster,” Dr. Ali says.
The video wall also allows staff to respond immediately via video to call lights and even monitor patients who are at risk of falling or require assistance with reorientation. When certain staff members enter a room, their name and role are displayed on the digital screen, so patients know who’s caring for them.
A more pleasant stay
Inpatient stays are designed to be more convenient in the new University Hospital, with smoother access to care services such as imaging and therapy, more convenient access to meals and quieter stays.
For example, the Neuroscience Stroke Program will include all inpatient services and support on the same floor. Diagnostic services such as CT, EMG and EeG are available via a quick horizontal trip from the neurostroke patient units. A rehabilitation gym on the unit facilitates stroke patients’ recovery, preparing them for discharge and aftercare.
Food for each unit is prepared in centralized kitchens with dedicated elevators to rapidly deliver meals to bedsides.
“Part of healing is to have the nutrition services that you need, so our state-of-the-art robotic system and dedicated elevators for food transport will make this easier,” Dr. Ali says.
For labor and delivery patients, 49 all-private postpartum rooms are filled with natural light and feature built-in family areas to accommodate overnight guests, along with a nearby family lounge.
Decentralized nursing approach
The new University Hospital design features decentralized nursing stations so that no patient rooms are located near a hub of nursing collaboration and conversation. Instead, nurses will conduct quiet observation work at the bedside and can then collaborate in team rooms situated farther away from the patient care environment.
“We expect the ambient noise around the clock, and particularly at night, to be lower, because the number of staff concentrated in any one space to do routine work should be down,” Dr. Ali says.
Airborne infection isolation floor
The new University Hospital is equipped to handle a public health outbreak while ensuring the safety of both patients and staff. With private rooms, staff can safely manage patients in-place.
The number of negative airflow rooms is increasing from between two and four per floor, to at least six per floor. In addition to the 60 negative airflow rooms on the 10th floor, the entire floor is designed to be an infection isolation floor.
“That should allow our staff to be protected during unknown circumstances like a pandemic, while also ensuring patients can’t inadvertently infect each other,” Dr. Ali says.
From thoughtful features like getting a hot latte faster, to crucial details like improving critical care capacity and capability, the new University Hospital represents a significant leap forward in clinical care for central Ohio.
Learn about collaborative care innovation in Ohio State’s new University Hospital