However, it is unclear what will become of Kettering Health’s latest holding in the area since no official plans have been announced for the former Kroger store.
Elizabeth Long, a spokesperson for Kettering Health, said they are still in the planning process for the 4.1 acre site.
Tom Franzen, the director of economic development for the city of Springfield, said Kettering Health has not submitted any plans for the property to city officials. He said it is too early to tell what impact the recent purchase will have on the area as he is unsure of what will become of the former Kroger location.
“From an economic standpoint, competition is good. It can lead to more positive health outcomes in the community,” Franzen said, of the local healthcare market.
It is the second major purchase the health network has made in the Springfield area this year. Kettering Health purchased the site of its Springfield Health Center at 2100 Emmanuel Way in August.
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That property was previously owned by Springfield Professional Suites LTD and Kettering Health purchased it for $2.5 million, according to the Clark County Auditor's Office, after leasing the space for its Springfield clinic for more than a year.
“As the community continues to engage with (Kettering Health), we will continue to respond with what services are needed,”Rick Dodds, the president of Soin Medical Center and Greene Memorial Hospital in Greene County, told the News-Sun in September.
Those hospitals are administered by Kettering Health and Dodds said the health network had expanded several of its services in Springfield earlier this year. That included those related to women’s health, orthopedic care and heart and vascular care.
Representatives of Kettering Health also said at the time they were looking to expand the number of independent physicians in the area that are affiliated with the health network.
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Horton Hobbs, the vice president of economic development for the Chamber of Greater Springfield, told the News-Sun in September that the healthcare field is extremely competitive throughout the state as providers look to increase their presence in local markets.
He said an increase in that activity creates a continuation of options for health services.
The Springfield News-Sun will continue to provide unmatched coverage of the healthcare industry in Clark and Champaign Counties. The paper has recently covered Kettering Health purchasing its Springfield Health Center as well as the opening of a new healthcare facility in Enon by Mercy Health.
By the numbers:
$2.2 million: The amount that the former Kroger building was purchased for by the Ohio limited-liability company AMVO
$2.5 million: The amount that Kettering Health Network spent for the location of its Springfield Health Center.
2: number of major purchases made by Kettering Health in the Springfield area this year
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