Genesis breaks ground on Perry County emergency medical center

SOMERSET, Ohio- Perry County is one step closer to getting their first ever emergency medical center.

Genesis Healthcare System broke ground on the project Wednesday morning. County and state officials attended the event that marked the beginning of construction on the Genesis Perry County Medical Center in Somerset.

The $10 million facility will bring emergency care services to the county for the first time.

“The need is really based upon the fact that there are no other local emergency services and that people have to travel so far for those,” said Matthew Perry, CEO of Genesis Healthcare Systems. “When you bring emergency services directly to a community like this, you bring the care to the people, you save lives and you make their health care outcomes better.”

The location in Somerset was chosen because of its central proximity to the surrounding towns. According to Genesis, the emergency facility will be roughly 12 minutes from 75% of Perry County’s residents, significantly cutting the crucial travel time.

“From the time you are having symptoms of a heart attack or a stroke or if you are injured severely, it makes all the difference if you can get to a definitive location, an emergency department for your care within that golden hour. Your health care outcomes are far superior than if you had to travel a lot farther and got there a lot later,” said Perry.

The existing 10,250 square foot facility will be remodeled and a 7,500 square foot 24/7 emergency department will be constructed as an addition.

The Genesis Perry County Medical Center is projected to open by summer of 2018.