Mercy Health - Willard celebrates 35 years

WILLARD – Mercy Health - Willard Hospital is celebrating 35 years of providing high-quality care to the community as part of the Mercy Health ministry. In 1987, the person who was then president of Mercy Health - Tiffin Hospital was given a news article that noted a community hospital, known as Willard Area Hospital, was looking for a buyer or to be merged with another entity. Sister Marie Catherine Wise, RSM, made some phone calls that resulted in welcoming Willard Area Hospital into the Mercy Health system in 1988, according to a Mercy news release. "The roots of Mercy Health - Willard Hospital date back in this community to 1915 when Dr. Harry Blaine built a private hospital in our community that later became Willard Area Hospital," said Andrew Morgan, president of Mercy's Tiffin and Willard hospitals. "Although we are celebrating 35 years with the Mercy Health ministry this year, the legacy of providing expert care to the residents of Willard and our surrounding communities dates back 108 years." Willard hospital's history includes several buildings, including the current location on Neal Zick Road. In July 2010, the release said the Willard hospital broke ground on a new $40.5 million, 101,000-square-foot hospital building. The two-story hospital opened its doors in May 2012 and serves the community with a state-of-the-art surgery center, private inpatient rooms and other amenities. Today, the release said the hospital has a strong network of primary care and specialty physicians as well as outpatient services to care for patients close to home. In the release, Mercy Health thanked the providers, nurses and entire hospital staff for the high-quality, compassionate care they give every day. In particular, Mercy Health notes that for the fifth consecutive year, its Willard hospital has earned a ranking among healthcare providers and insurers in Modern Healthcare's 2023 Best Places to Work award program. "Mercy Health – Willard Hospital has a long history of mission-based work in our communities, not only through providing nationally-recognized care but also through the many partnerships we have with community organizations," said Julie Landoll, director of mission for the Tiffin and Willard hospitals. "The number on the anniversary says 35, but really, we are celebrating more than a century of commitment to those we serve." Hospital personnel are planned an internal celebration featuring a Mass with the Rev. Ron Schock followed by a campus-wide picnic and a silent auction to benefit the Mercy Willard Care Fund.