MVHC Expands Putnam Avenue Facility

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – A ribbon cutting was held at the recently expanded Putnam Avenue healthcare facility. 

The residents in Zanesville’s Putnam community are now benefitting from a venture between Muskingum Valley Health Centers and the J.W. and M.H. Straker Charitable Foundation that has improved their access to convenient healthcare. MVHC CEO Dan Atkinson explained the need for the investment.

“The best study was the current facility that’s operating and the demand we’re experiencing, seeing over a hundred patients a day,” Atkinson said. “And certainly in the urgent care services, in addition to the addiction services, that required us to really look at the space to be able to better meet the needs of the community. The current facility was the tell-all as far as we need additional space so that we can accommodate the community better.”

An urgent care facility has been in operation at the location since 2021 and a $1.5 Million dollar renovation has added 7,800 square feet of primary care space that is within walking distance for many of the residents in that neighborhood. Straker Foundation President and Executive Director Susan Holdren described the reason her organization helped fund the expansion. 

“This is the kind of project that our foundation really likes to get engaged with,” Holdren said. “It’s got three main factors that play into that. The first one is that it’s an underserved neighborhood in Putnam. We also like that it’s going to serve a lot of people. And then finally, we like the brick and mortar aspect. A family foundation does not always gravitate towards brick and mortar. Many do more programming but our foundation likes brick and mortar.”

Atkinson expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to the endeavor. He then went on to emphasize the importance of the facility’s location and it’s services in addition to sharing the need for reducing the demand on emergency room services.