BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN -- A joint project being launched today will mean more office space for doctors who take care of women before their babies are born, and a day-care center.
Hilltop Obstetrics and Gynecology and Middletown Regional Hospital (MRH) will break ground today for a $2.4 million, 20,000-square-foot building on the hospital campus.
Hilltop, which has outgrown its office inside the hospital, will be housed in the upper half of the new building. A hospital-run child care center for employees will be in the lower level, said Dr. Gregory Siewny, one of the Hilltop partners. The medical office is to open in May.
"We named our group Hilltop Obstetrics and Gynecology Inc. because at that time, the hospital was the tallest point in the city," Dr. Siewny said. "Now we're actually building our new office on a hill. It's kind of like destiny."
The child care facility will be for children and grandchildren of the 1,200 MRH employees and the 400 employees of its subsidiaries, said Karen Borgert, MRH director of human resources.
Hospital-based child care programs are a growing trend nationally. And the National Association of Hospital Affiliated Child Care Programs says its No. 1 problem is a waiting list, Mrs. Borgert said. The hospital will begin taking names in January for the center, which will open in June. A waiting list is expected within a year, Mrs. Borgert said.
About 86 percent of MRH's staff is female, and many have children. Because they work unusual schedules, dependable day care is essential, she said.
"Limited and unreliable child care often are the causes of stress and absenteeism for many working parents," Mrs. Borgert said. "The new center will offer reliable, high-quality care for up to 150 children between the ages of 6 weeks and 12 years. It will be a full-service, full-day center also offering summer and holiday camps, half-day programs and part-time schedules."
There will be a director and about 25 staff members. The center will be open 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., but those hours may change if warranted. Douglas McNeil, MRH president and chief executive officer, said "it's important for (employees) to know their children will be receiving excellent, reliable child care."
The partnership also will allow Hilltop to continue to offer care including normal and high-risk obstetrics, infertility, cryosurgery, laser surgery and family planning, while still being near the hospital.
Dr. Siewny said he and his partners, Drs. Charles Hageman, Jack Davis, William Andrew and Pamela Clancy, want to have an open house when the new office opens.
"My partners and I have always talked about having a big celebration and inviting all the kids we've ever delivered and their families," he said. "This will be a memorable occasion."
