Medical staff are moving more than 425 patients into 26-story, 1.9-million-square-foot hospital
COLUMBUS, OH, UNITED STATES, February 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Key Takeaways
• The new University Hospital at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center opens today with more than 425 patients moving into large, private rooms. The hospital is the largest single-facility construction project in the university’s history and the largest single-facility hospital project to open in the United States in 2026.
• This hospital is designed to provide the best care and experience for patients and their families, with modern technology, family-friendly spaces and lots of natural light. There are 24 operating rooms, 24/7 dining service and state-of-the-art, private rooms for patients.
• With the new hospital comes other changes, including new street and building names on the medical campus.
Today marks a historic milestone for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center as the first of more than 425 patients are moved through three dedicated routes into 820 spacious private rooms at the new University Hospital, 520 W. 10th Ave., Columbus.
University Hospital is a decade in the making, and it stands out for its patient-centered design, family-friendly facilities and highly advanced technology. It offers top-quality care across a range of specialties, including surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, critical care, adult organ transplants and more.
“Thousands of people have been working diligently for years to turn our vision for a transformational hospital that improves lives across Ohio, the nation and the world into a reality,” said Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. “Today is about so much more than opening a building. It’s about honoring our land-grant mission by delivering life-changing patient care, advancing innovative research and providing high-quality education for generations to come.”
The 1.9-million-square-foot, 26-story hospital is the largest single-facility construction project ever undertaken at Ohio State and the largest single-facility hospital project opening in the United States in 2026.
Rising 410 feet, University Hospital is the 10th tallest building in Columbus. About 12,000 providers and support staff will deliver high-quality health care here every day.
“Medicine today and in the future is about teamwork and collaboration, and our hospital design reinforces our efforts to coalesce as a team around patients and their loved ones, prioritizing their needs and optimizing their health care journey,” said John J. Warner, MD, CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president at Ohio State. “University Hospital is a place where innovation and transformation will enable caregivers, researchers and educators to drive high-impact discoveries that translate to improvements in patient care, while also providing outstanding clinical education to the next generation of health care professionals.”
Highlights include:
• 24 operating rooms, including two hybrid neurovascular suites for complex stroke care.
• 10 interventional radiology suites for advanced imaging-guided procedures
• 234 intensive care unit (ICU) beds
• Region’s only Level 4 maternity care hospital with an express elevator feature for laboring patients
• 24/7 dining access with mobile ordering available
• 24/7 access to indoor and outdoor spaces for reflection
• 148 additional beds for patients of The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
Healing natural light spills through large, 9-foot windows in each 349-square-foot patient room. The rooms also feature a 75-inch digital screen that provides access to care team member information, telehealth and video conferencing, room controls, patient education, entertainment and relaxation content.
New names for other Medical Center buildings
As part of the University Hospital transition, these buildings now have new names:
• Rhodes Hall, located at 450 W. Tenth Ave, is now “University Hospital – Rhodes Hall.” The signage on the building will say “UH Rhodes.”
• Doan Hall is now “University Hospital – Doan Hall.” The signage for University Hospital – Doan Hall will be located on the south side of University Hospital – Rhodes Hall. It will say “UH Doan.”
The Brain and Spine Hospital is now “University Hospital – Pavilion.” The building signage will say “300 UH Pavilion” as this building is located at 300 W. 10th Ave.
New road names on Medical Center campus
Additionally, these road names on the medical center campus have been changed:
• The service road to the Wexner Medical Center Garage is now “Medical Center Drive West.”
• “Dodd Drive (East)” is now “Medical Center Drive East” along the west side of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research and Atwell Hall. Dodd Drive will still run along the east side of McCampbell Outpatient Care and the north side of the Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital. All building addresses will remain the same.
• “Medical Center Drive” now turns into “Eastpark Street” where it intersects with Westpark Street.
University Hospital adds nearly 400 beds to the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. It expands access for central Ohio’s rapidly growing population, which is projected to exceed three million people by 2050, according to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.
“Opening the new University Hospital is not just an exciting milestone for Ohio State. It will help us provide exceptional care to the communities we serve and be a resource for people all across Ohio and beyond,” Warner said.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Eileen Scahill
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Eileen.Scahill@osumc.edu
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