Is it really a drive through central Ohio if you don't see a hospital construction project during it?
The Columbus area's four major health systems, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, OhioHealth, Nationwide Children's Hospital and Mount Carmel Health Systems made serious headway in their many multimillion dollar construction projects in 2026.
All four systems have repeatedly pointed to the region's population growth as a key consideration in their building decisions over the years. That drive remains strong, as all four systems continue adding on to some Columbus proper facilities while also building out into Columbus suburbs like Powell and growing commuter communities like Pickerington.
Here's what these health systems have completed
or are still working on in 2026.
OSU turns to renovations after skyscraper hospital finally operational
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center opened its pride and joy, University Hospital, in February 2026 in Columbus. The $2 billion skyscraper is 26 stories tall with over 820 beds.
Along with general and intensive medical care and surgery, the new tower boasts three floors dedicated to women's care, labor and delivery, 51 neonatal intensive care beds in partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital and the region's only adult burn and organ transplant centers, among other areas of care.
The university health system also opened an outpatient care center in Powell in August on Sawmill Parkway. The 208,000-square-foot center cost just under $188 million to construct, and includes a five-story medical office building connected to a two-story ambulatory building for outpatient endoscopy procedures, imaging, outpatient rehabilitation and physical therapy. There is also a retail pharmacy, laboratory services and a cafe.
In September, OSU brought cancer care to the office building's top two floors, including routine screenings, clinical trials, genetic counseling, infusion, mammography, nutrition and oncology rehabilitation.
Renovations and expansions have been kicked into full gear at other OSU locations. East Hospital on Taylor Avenue is expected to have nearly $47 million in infrastructure upgrades alone, such as updates to the fire suppression system, chiller system and renovations to their cardiac catheterization lab all by 2028.
It's Outpatient Care East center, also on Taylor Avenue, has started $5 million in renovation, expansion and relocation efforts that are expected to add primary care, new optometry, urgent care and lab services.
OhioHealth is in the home stretch to opening its Women's Center
Health care goliath OhioHealth continued to expand and upgrade its facilities inside and outside central Ohio in 2026.
It's highly-anticipated Women's Center at its Riverside Methodist Hospital campus is on track to be done in 2027. The health system first started construction of the 555,000-square-foot, $600 million center in 2024.
The center includes standalone inpatient and outpatient care "designed to provide comprehensive care across life stages" such as maternity, NICU, obstetric and gynecological services, mid-life and bone health, urogynecology, female urology and mammography, according to OhioHealth.
Construction work at Dublin Methodist Hospital remains underway. OhioHealth is adding a new $250 million six-floor tower to increase inpatient bed capacity, critical care capacity and services as "Dublin and central Ohio continue to grow," a spokesperson said. The project includes 200,00 square feet of new space and 64,000 square feet of renovated space and its estimated completion date is between late 2028 and early 2029.
On OhioHealth Parkway in Columbus will be the new $226 millionOhioHealth Cancer Center, expected to be completed in late 2028. The 199,000-square-foot center will offer radiation oncology, surgical oncology clinics, medical oncology, hematology, infusion, diagnostics, lab services and specialized cancer clinics.
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Doctor's Hospital on West Broad Street will get additional space as well as renovations to expand radiation oncology and support customized cancer treatment planning. The $16.8 million project includes 2,500 square feet of added space and 1,400 square feet of renovated space.
OhioHealth also has myriad projects in process in some of the over half of Ohio's 88 counties it occupies. Renovations, upgrades and expansions are planned or ongoing at Bradley Cancer Center at Berger Hospital in Circleville, O'Bleness Hospital in Athens, OhioHealth Castrop Center in Athens, Marion General Hospital, OhioHealth's Ontario medical campus, Mansfield Hospital and Hardin Memorial Hospital in Kenton.
Nationwide Children's Hospital continues massive tower work
Nationwide Children's Hospital is continuing to expand its reach in central Ohio and beyond with its "Close To Home" centers, as well as make progress on it's 14-story inpatient tower on the main campus in Columbus.
The 850,000-square-foot, $1.27 billion tower on Children's Drive is on track to wrap up construction in 2028. It will serve as the hub for acute and critical care services, with the hospital's "most advanced equipment and technology and specialized clinical spaces to support children requiring the highest level of care," according to the health system.
The tower will add more than 430 inpatient beds to Nationwide Children's main campus, with 240 beds set to open on its first day. The tower will be home to an expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), hematology and oncology services as well as emergency services.
The NICU expansion, in addition to state-of-the-art equipment, will add dedicated specialty units for different newborn conditions as well as private family amenities like showers, family lounges, on-site laundry and "supportive spaces" for long-term stays.
In New Albany, Nationwide Children's will open a 215,000-square-foot Close To Home Center in late 2027. The $130 million center will include advanced urgent care, a lab, radiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech, sports physical therapy and specialty clinics. It will also include a 20-acre adjacent park.
The building will be named to "honor the longtime support of Abercrombie & Fitch," the New Albany-headquartered retailer, according to the health system. The pediatric health system said it's partnership with the New Albany Company, founded by local billionaire Les Wexner, helped them design and build one of their largest Close To Home Centers.
Nationwide Children's is also building a 28,000-square-foot, $9.1 million Close To Home Center in Ontario, set to be completed in 2027. It will be located within OhioHealth's Ontario medical campus which will offer women’s health services and put women's and pediatric services under one roof. OhioHealth's part of the project also includes a 42,000-square-foot, $38.4 million new building.
Mount Carmel Health System opens second Pickerington location
Mount Carmel Health System has also set it sights on the suburbs, while renovating Mount Carmel St. Ann's Hospital, the hospital it's most known for and has operated in the Columbus area since 1908.
Mount Carmel St. Ann's Hospital on Cleveland Avenue in Westerville is in the process of $22.5 million in upgrades primarily focused on updating its maternity care service areas. That includes updating the Nationwide Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, creating a Ronald McDonald House "respite space" to support families whose newborns need to remain in the hospital, as well as renovating the mother-infant unit, labor and delivery unit and newborn nursery to "improve functionality, aesthetics, and the overall patient, visitor and staff experience."
In March, the health system, owned by Michigan-based Trinity Health System, opened its new Mount Carmel Medical Group location in Pickerington on Refugee Road. It's the second Pickerington location for Mount Carmel, in addition to its Hill Road location.
The Refugee Road site offers primary care services, including adolescent care, diabetes management, men’s and women’s health, newborn and pediatric care and preventive health services, according to the health system.
Just a month later, Mount Carmel opened a similar site in Gahanna on North Hamilton Road. It also reopened it's Powell location on Sawmill Parkway after significant renovations.
Business and consumer issues reporter Samantha Hendrickson can be reached at shendrickson@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus hospitals are spending billions on buildings. See what's new in 2026
