Mount Carmel’s Franklinton ER closure is scheduled for Aug. 22, followed by the opening of a walk-in primary and preventive care hub in Columbus on Aug. 24. The health system said the shift is intended to improve access to routine care while reducing avoidable emergency department visits.

What the Franklinton ER closure means for patients

The emergency room at the former Mount Carmel West campus will stop operating on Aug. 22. The nearest emergency department will be approximately 2 miles away at Grant Medical Center on Grant Avenue.

Mount Carmel plans to open the new care hub in the Fortuity Building on Aug. 24. It will offer walk-in primary care, preventive care and extended hours for Franklinton residents.

Why Mount Carmel is changing the site

Mount Carmel said many patients visiting the Franklinton emergency department do not need emergency-level treatment, which is generally the most expensive setting for care. The new model is designed to connect residents with more affordable routine services and support long-term health.

Brian Pierson, president of Mount Carmel’s South Region, said the transition reflects the neighborhood’s current and future needs and is intended to help patients receive appropriate care at the right time and cost.

Employees will be reassigned

The health system said employees at the Franklinton ER will be reassigned to other Mount Carmel locations. It also said it remains committed to Franklinton, where it has maintained a presence for 140 years.

The property was formerly part of the Mount Carmel West hospital campus. Hospital operations moved to Grove City in 2019. The new hub marks another change in how the site is being used to provide community health services.

The transition matters because it changes where Franklinton residents will seek emergency treatment while expanding access to walk-in primary and preventive care in the neighborhood.