ROME — Three ophthalmologists broke ground on a new eye center in the Griffiss Business & Technology Park off Dart Circle near the Wingate Inn Friday, Oct. 22.
Construction on the project, a collaboration with Rome Memorial Hospital, is expected to be completed in early 2011, according to John J. Costello, Jr., D.O., one of the principals of the project.
The three ophthalmologists, Dr. Costello, his brother Patrick A. Costello, M.D., and Joseph F. Femia, M.D., will own the 12,000 square foot building, which is being constructed on a two-acre parcel. The doctors will continue to maintain their private offices at their current locations, but will perform surgery at the eye center.
The new eye center, a collaborative partnership between Rome’s three ophthalmologists and the hospital, will lease approximately 6,000 square feet of the building, with the remainder available to unidentified tenants. The hospital will have a minority ownership interest in the center, Dr. Costello noted.
“This joint venture will provide patients with a new state-of-the-art facility that specializes in ophthalmologic procedures, such as cataract, glaucoma and eyelid surgery,” said Dr. Costello. “By having a dedicated eye center, patients won’t be inconvenienced by delays in their elective procedures that can understandably be caused by emergency cases that take priority in a hospital operating room.”
“The project also aligns with the hospital’s need to provide more available OR time for the new surgeons who have been successfully recruited to serve the greater Rome community,” Dr. Costello said.
“The initiative is a win-win for the providers and our patients. The eye center will provide improved access and efficiency for patients and the physicians,” Dr. Costello said. “In addition, the eye center will be another economic development victory for the Griffiss Business Park.”
Source: Rome Observer[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]