100 days after opening, we look back at University Hospital taking shape

After more than a decade of planning, designing and construction, Ohio State University Hospital opened on Feb. 22, 2026, welcoming 425 patients on its first day.

Now, after 100 days of patient care, the 26-story hospital bustles with the multidisciplinary collaboration that The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is known for. At University Hospital, clinical teams have since delivered about 1,500 babies, completed more than 21,000 imaging studies and admitted well over 9,000 patients.

It’s taken many thousands of Buckeye staff to build this care system of empathy and excellence on a foundation that spans nearly two centuries. 

University Hospital hasn’t been just a construction project – it’s a signal to the future for Ohioans.

But, on this early milestone for the hospital tower, let’s reflect on that construction progress, a visual representation of the strides Ohio State has made and will continue to make to improve lives through advances in research, education and patient care.

Before (left): In December 2021, the concrete stairwell and elevator cores had been formed and steel erection had begun, but the new hospital tower didn’t quite look like a building yet.
After (right): A January 2026 view of Ohio State University Hospital, also looking northwest, shows a hospital nearly ready for patients.

Before (left): One of 820 private patient rooms, as seen in December 2022.
After (right): A fully outfitted private patient room as seen in December 2025 ahead of University Hospital’s opening. Newer amenities include a 75-inch “digital footwall” TV that displays care team member information, telehealth and video conferencing, room controls, entertainment content and more.  

Before (left): A placeholder “Block O” was hung from the Lantern space at the top of University Hospital by March 2025.
After (right): The permanent Block O was illuminated for the first time on Oct. 3, 2025, in a celebration that included drone displays. 

Before (left): A Nutrition Services staging area is seen in February 2025, a year before University Hospital’s opening. 
After (right): Today, this space is streamlined with the help of robotic “smart” waiters that help deliver supplies from one area to another via dedicated elevators. 

Before (left): In September 2025, it might have been difficult to picture this space as a waiting area for the loved ones of patients undergoing surgery.
After (right): Today, the OR waiting room is a comfortable, quiet space with private, closed-door pods for personal phone calls.

Before (left): The top three patient-care floors of the University Hospital are dedicated to labor, delivery, postpartum and infant care. Construction is seen here in July 2023.
After (right): This neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) room, designed to accommodate triplets, is one of many NICU spaces with family areas and private bathrooms. 

Before (left): This look from April 2023 shows the stairs in the University Hospital lobby that would eventually be flanked by two escalators. At the time, the brick wall separated this construction space from the lobby of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).  
After (right): The University Hospital escalators are seen during a sneak peek of the space for some staff teams in December 2025. 

Before (left): Lobby escalator installation is seen in October 2023 from the OSUCCC – James side of the building. 
After (right): Three weeks ahead of University Hospital’s opening, a gleaming escalator space is ready for patients and visitors. 

Before (left): A terrace takes shape outside the second-floor café, looking north toward Ohio State’s South Campus Central Chiller Plant and Morrill and Lincoln Towers.
After (right): Today, the Linda and Joe Chlapaty Terrace (as seen here in April 2026) offers patients, visitors and staff a pleasant outdoor respite. 

Before (left): From the top of the city’s 10th-tallest building in April 2023, you can see the Olentangy River, Ohio Stadium and other campus landmarks, and a blank helipad.
After (right): A freshly painted helipad is visible beside the top “lantern” area of University Hospital, looking south toward Downtown Columbus in May 2025. 

Before (left): A staff-recommended redesign of intensive care unit (ICU) layouts led to a new bathroom placement for University Hospital ICU rooms, seen here in July 2023. Room setups now give clinicians better visibility when checking on patients from the hallway.
After (right): One of University Hospital’s 234 ICU beds, fully outfitted, shortly after University Hospital’s opening. 

Before (left): Among the multi-use spaces at University Hospital is the Lampert Family Auditorium, on the ground floor within the Education Center.
After (right): The Lampert Family Auditorium already has served many purposes in its first 100 days, ranging from a volunteer command center for move-in day, to lectures and celebrations. 

Before (left): Ohio State University Hospital houses 24 operating rooms – this one pictured in July 2023 – including two hybrid neurovascular suites for complex stroke care. 
After (right): A hybrid OR is seen two months ahead of University Hospital’s opening, as surgical equipment is installed.  

Before (left): The main lobby entrance, with its revolving doors, is seen in September 2024. 
After (right): The John F. Wolfe Lobby on the ground floor lets in ample sunlight with views of the forecourt, seen here in September 2025 getting finishing touches. 

Photos from Ohio State University Facilities Design and Construction, construction manager Walsh/Turner (joint venture) and Ohio State Wexner Medical Center staff photographers Barbara J. Perenic and Wendy Pramik.