(Blue Ash, Ohio) – Mercy Health Partners (MHP) will be working with local and national architecture firms in designing plans for the new Mercy hospital, which will expand healthcare services currently available on the west side of Cincinnati and offer a new, state-of-the-art healthcare facility.

MHP has selected Champlin Architecture, of Cincinnati, as the architect of record for the project.  Ellerbe Becket, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, will serve as the lead design architect for the new hospital.  It will be built on a 60-acre parcel of land on North Bend Road near I-74 in Green Township.

Champlin Architecture is a leader in healthcare design and has worked on numerous healthcare projects in Greater Cincinnati and Ohio, including the design for the new Mercy Medical Center Mt. Orab, the Heart Hospital and patient tower at Mercy Hospital Fairfield, and a new outpatient center at The Ohio State University Medical Center.

Ellerbe Becket, an AECOM company, is one of the top healthcare design firms in the world. They have designed state-of-the-art facilities for clients that include the Mayo Clinic, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, and Catholic Healthcare Partners – the parent organization for MHP.

“We are extremely fortunate to have two architecture firms of this caliber collaborate on the design for this project,” said James May, President/CEO of Mercy Health Partners.  “The new hospital will be the hub for our plans to bring comprehensive, high-quality healthcare services to our communities on the west side and in western Hamilton County.”

The new Mercy hospital will offer the latest advancements in healthcare design to help ensure operational efficiency, allow for future flexibility, and provide safety, comfort and privacy for patients, as well as a safe and efficient work environment for physicians and staff.  The hospital will be located within a few miles of the current Mercy hospitals in Mt. Airy and Western Hills and will feature comprehensive healthcare services, including heart and cancer programs.  Work will start immediately on the design and groundbreaking is planned in 2011.