1970s
On November 7, 1974, patients were transferred from the old building to the new six-floor facility, which is known today as the Patient Tower. The 1915 and 1930 buildings were then demolished, the 1953 building was completely renovated, and a single floor building was constructed to connect the renovated 1953 facility, the West Wing, to the Patient Tower.

The new and renovated facilities were dedicated on September 13, 1976. At that time, the 6th Floor of the Patient Tower was left uncompleted to accommodate future growth.

The City of Lancaster retained ownership of the Hospital until mid-1969, although Fairfield County joined in the operational responsibility in 1948, and began leasing the Hospital from the City in 1962. On May 26, 1969, the City of Lancaster sold the Hospital to Fairfield County for $1.00 with the condition that it would always be used as a healthcare facility for the residents of Fairfield County.

1980s
On February 1, 1982, the Hospital was reorganized from a County-sponsored facility to a not-for-profit Hospital corporation and its name was changed from Lancaster-Fairfield County Hospital to Lancaster-Fairfield Community Hospital.

In September, 1984, the Hospital's Ambulatory Care Center was opened, designed and equipped to provide a full compliment of outpatient services. In March, 1989, the Hospital opened its 12-bed facility on the 6th floor for Psychiatric Health, a facility designed to provide short-term comprehensive inpatient Psychiatric services for adults. In December of that year, plans were unveiled for another expansion of the hospital's facilities.

However, unlike past expansions which had largely focused on enlarging inpatient capacity, the Ambulatory Care Center was designed, developed and equipped to provide the Hospital's entire complement of cost-effective outpatient services in a single, centralized facility located on the First Floor, while expanding the emergency department from 11 to 17 beds. The Ambulatory Care Center created all new pre-admission testing and outpatient surgery facilities while expanding the Hospital's rehabilitative service facilities in the physical medicine and cardiopulmonary areas.



With the new facility open for just over 100 days in 1984, demand for the Hospital's outpatient services increased nine percent over the previous year. In 1985, local outpatient demand grew another 46%. Lancaster-Fairfield Community Hospital began laying foundation for its future, and the future of health care services in the Southeast Ohio region surrounding Lancaster and Fairfield County.

Considered revolutionary at the time, the Ambulatory Care Center demonstrated the Hospital's ability to anticipate and prepare for changes in reimbursement practices, medical technology and public opinion that combined to place an increasing premium on the need to provide health care services on an outpatient basis whenever it was medically feasible to do so.

1990s
In 1994 the "Building on Excellence" building and renovation project included: conversion of the Hospital's First Floor into clinical facilities, enhancing and expanding diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic services; the remodeled obstetrics unit to provide maternity patients with "state of the art" care; and combining the coronary care and intensive care units into a single, more efficient and functional critical care unit. The same year, the hospital changed its name to Fairfield Medical Center to better reflect the expansion of services offered and the communities served.

In 1999, a multi-phase project started which included expanding the Emergency Department, the radiation oncology wing, and cardiac services area with these projects all completed in 2001.



2000s
Fairfield Medical Center received the honor of being named the Lancaster Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year in 2002

In October of 2003, a groundbreaking initiated one of the largest construction projects in the Center's history. This expansion included the building of a 600-car parking garage, which opened in September of 2004. A ribbon cutting and ground breaking were held in March of 2005 to mark the completion of the first phase of the 65,000 square foot addition and to officially begin the construction of a 45,000 square foot medical office building. The ribbon cutting officially opened the "North Entrance" to the Medical Center. This entrance welcomes patients and visitors to the new Endoscopy suites, Observation Unit and Cardiovascular services areas. Construction continues on the next phase of the project to add two new catheterization labs, expand the Emergency Department and provide for the future growth needs of the Radiology and Surgery departments.

Fairfield Medical Center continues to grow, off of the main campus as well. Currently the Center has offsite locations for:

    • Audiology/Speech Therapy
    • Business Office
    • Diagnostic Health Services (3 locations)
    • Ewing Square Specialty Services
    • Outpatient Therapy Services
    • River Valley Laboratory
    • Surgery Pavilion
    • Wellness Center
    • Wound Care Services

In addition to these locations, the Center works in collaboration with physicians and other health care providers to bring the Fairfield Center for Health and Healing, Fairfield Diagnostic Imaging, and Southeast Ohio Sleep Disorders Center to the community. We are currently working with the Mount Carmel Health System to provide healthcare services in the Canal Winchester and Pickerington area.



The constituency of our current service area includes more than 250,000 residents in Fairfield, Perry, Hocking and Athens Counties. Fairfield Medical Center employs over 2000 individuals with a current budget of $130 million. The governing body of Fairfield Medical Center is a 12-member Board of Directors, which established and updates broad goals and policies, which govern the Center's actions. Shashi Gogate, MD serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.

Fairfield Medical Center is generously assisted by several affiliated groups. Since 1948, more than 20 TWIG groups have been formed to support the Center. Many volunteers donate their time and talents to assist patients, visitors and staff and the Volunteer Chaplain Program, comprised of area ministers, was formed in 1977 to support the spiritual needs of patients.

TODAY
Today, Fairfield Medical Center, a 222 bed, not-for-profit, 501(c)3 hospital, located in Lancaster, Ohio, is a full service general acute healthcare facility servicing the healthcare needs of southeastern and central Ohio. The Mission of Fairfield Medical Center is: "Fairfield Medical Center’s team provides efficient, compassionate, high quality healthcare for patients and their families."

Current programs at Fairfield Medical Center include a general acute care setting offering comprehensive inpatient and outpatient surgical services and rehabilitative services. We have multiple offsite locations with family practice physicians, diagnostic and laboratory services, and in home health care. Our most recent expansion includes a full spectrum of cardiology services, specifically coronary artery bypass surgery, and interventional procedures.

Fairfield Medical continues to grow and offer new services and programs. The Diabetes Self Management Program at Fairfield Medical Center is a new program for patients and families in our community who are living with diabetes. For the convenience of patients and families we now have a Wound Clinic. This clinic is conveniently located in Fairfield Medical Center Surgery and Medical Office Pavilion.

The Center is also partnering to provide health care education right here in our community. Fairfield Medical Center and Mount Carmel School of Nursing is working in collaboration with Ohio University Lancaster (OU-L) to offer a BSN Nursing Program. Students will take preliminary classes at OU-L then do their clinical training at Fairfield Medical Center under the educational programming through the Mount Carmel School of Nursing. The Center works with Hocking College for their programs clinical rotations. In addition, the Center continues to work with Ohio University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, as we look to serve as an educational training site for medical residents and interns.