Cincinnati's Shriners Hospitals for Children is exploring a move to Dayton. The Corryville hospital has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Dayton Children's Hospital. A news release says once binding legal documents are complete, Cincinnati Shriners would lease and occupy separate space on the Dayton campus. A final move could happen in the next 16 months.
The pediatric specialty hospital, which provides care for burns as well as cleft lip and palate, and plastic and reconstructive surgery, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018.
"These changes are necessary to ensure that our hospital can continue to provide the finest pediatric specialty care for the next 50 years," Cincinnati Shriners Hospital Administrator Mark Shugarman said in a statement. "Current healthcare trends require us to adjust our delivery model to more accurately reflect today's environment."
Shriners says over the past decades there has been a drop in the severity and number of pediatric burns in the U.S. requiring a long hospital stay. It says this is largely because of education and prevention efforts, many spearheaded by Shriners.
Today, 85 percent of pediatric medical procedures happen in an outpatient setting.
"This move will enable Cincinnati Shriners Hospital to deliver its specialty services more efficiently, purchasing certain services from the Dayton hospital," the release said. "The new location will allow Shriners Hospitals for Children to maintain its southwest Ohio presence with a surgical facility designed to meet and exceed today's medical standards for its exceptional care."
Patients could be seen at the new location by the summer of 2020. Until then, both new and existing patients will continue to be treated at the Burnet Avenue location.
