Morning Briefing | Kettering Health has plans for Greene County

Kettering Health has announced a new $44 million medical center, but Xenia officials are not exactly happy about it.

In today’s Morning Briefing, we look at what to expect with the new medical center and why there is a conflict between Kettering Health and the city of Xenia. We also examine how UD is adapting to a new reality in which the traditional college-age segment of the population is declining.

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The newsletter should take about 4 minutes, 21 seconds to read.

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Proposed $44 million medical center to replace Xenia hospital lacks support from city leaders

A new $44 million medical center will replace the current Kettering Health Greene Memorial in Xenia, which received a lackluster response from city leaders.

• The current hospital: It has an emergency center and is certified as a primary stroke center. Its other range of services includes cardiac rehabilitation, cancer support services and 3D mammography.

• The new medical center: It will be located on Progress Drive across from the YMCA on the western edge of Xenia. It will have a full-service emergency room alongside imaging services that include MRI, CT and X-Ray, along with the additional programs supporting emergency care.

• Inpatient care? There will not be inpatient space at the new medical center. The facility will be similar to Kettering Health’s other medical centers, like ones in Huber Heights, Preble County and Middletown.

• Employees: Most current employees will be offered positions at the new medical center. The remaining employees who don’t get a position with the new medical center will be offered similar positions at other locations in Greene County.

• What hospital officials are saying: “We are honored by the trust and support that the residents of our Xenia community have placed in Kettering Health,” said Kettering Health CEO Mike Gentry. “As the health care landscape continues to change, the focus we place on our patients and meeting community health needs is the strongest way we can express our deep gratitude.”

• What the city is saying: “The City does not support this approach and sees this move for what it is — a further reduction in services that will force our residents to seek basic health care outside of Greene County,” said Brent Merriman, Xenia city manager.

UD plans for fewer students, employee reductions in new reality of higher-ed

The University of Dayton is deliberately shrinking its student body and employee payroll in large part to deal with a declining population of people who are of traditional college ages.

• The numbers: The school is working to reduce its student headcount by about 10% to 15% and its workforce by a similar amount. UD now has about 11,000 students and 3,700 employees.

• Not just UD: Staff and faculty at Wittenberg University are facing a preliminary plan that would reduce faculty by 60% for the 2025-26 school year, but a working group is looking for other solutions.

• This year: Classes for the fall semester start at UD on Aug. 19, and the school expects to have more than 1,700 first-year students. UD has had between 1,890 and 2,120 first-year students in each of the last five years.

• Residence hall closing: UD is closing Founders Hall, the oldest residence hall on campus, for the 2024-2025 school year because it is not needed.

What to know today

• One big takeaway: David Lee Myers, a Greene County man who has been on death row since he was convicted of murder in 1996 had his conviction vacated and has been granted a new trial.

• Back to school story of the day: Dayton Public Schools’ own high schoolers, plus high school students who live in the city of Dayton and go to other schools, will have to use the RTA system if they want to ride a bus to school this fall.

• Person to know today: Jessica Gaston. The 34-year-old Trotwood resident is a senior financial manager at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and has a consulting business called The Finance Doctor.

• Quote of the day: “It makes it so we can get the food to the front a lot faster as opposed to the carryout sitting in the back waiting. Customers have access to their food a little quicker, so it keeps everything fresher.” — Michele Argeroplos of China Cottage in Centerville, where they now use a robot to help with carryout orders.

• Big move of the day: Buc-ee’s will officially kick off construction on its first Ohio store today, marking the occasion with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Huber Heights site. Construction is estimated to take around 18 months.

• Stat of the day: 315 locations. The number of Big Lots stores that are closing, including sites in Montgomery and Butler counties.

• Happening today: I Heart Ice Cream officially opens in Dayton’s Wright Dunbar Historic Commercial District today.

• Thing to do: Levitt Pavilion Dayton presents its first World Indigenous Day celebration concert Saturday headlined by two-time Juno Award winners Digging Roots.

• Photo of the day: Former Dayton star Obi Toppin held his fourth annual Obi Toppin Basketball ProCamp at the UD RecPlex. David Jablonski has a gallery of photos here.

Credit: David Jablonski