The move includes the transfer of nearly 100 Fort Hamilton support jobs from Cincinnati to KHN’s newest building — being built off the Austin Pike/Interstate 75 interchange — and the network’s Sycamore Medical Center campus, off Ohio 725.
“It extends our footprint to where we are now in a diverse market, instead of being in a single market, and that creates depth for us,” said Frank Perez, the network’s chief executive. “Actually, it’s great for Dayton.”
Perez said he has long eyed the area’s southern market, much of which was just “farmland” when he came to the Dayton area more than 16 years ago.
“As you well know, that’s fast disappearing,” Perez said.
Today, the area is busy and growing and many observers see the Dayton and Cincinnati markets merging. Fort Hamilton will be on what Perez sees as the “dividing line” between the two markets, and the hospital will be the network’s southernmost location.
Before the affiliation, the network’s southernmost facilities were Sycamore and Southview Medical Center, also along Ohio 725. Perez noted that KHN had health centers in Lebanon and Franklin, but they were not full-fledged hospitals.
A new Fort Hamilton board has been formed with representatives from the existing board and newly appointed KHN members from the community, the network said.
The board’s first meeting will be Aug. 4.
Fort Hamilton, at 630 Eaton Ave., has a $100 million annual budget, 175 beds, 1,140 employees and 150 actively practicing physicians.
Not-for-profit KHN has 9,500 employees and 1,400 active physicians.
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