Down the street from where I live, two locally owned coffee shops are situated right next to each other. They each feature a welcoming ambiance, boast free Wi-Fi, and offer a similar variety of coffee and espresso purchased from South American fair trade farmers—you know, all the prerequisites for the modern café.
They are both equally delightful and I pretty much choose whichever one has a shorter line when I stop by. But every time I can't help but wonder, who was here first? Who saw the empty storefront next door to a preexisting café and thought, I can compete with that. This will be a perfect spot for my incredibly similar coffee joint.
Well, a comparable situation is currently playing out in the central Ohio healthcare market
In April 2012 OhioHealth announced the largest and most expensive project in its history when it unveiled plans to build a $321 million 10-story tower at its Riverside Methodist Hospital campus to house its brain and spine services.
Then last week, Ohio State University released plans to place its new brain and spine hospital in space to be vacated by the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital.
As the crow flies, the two facilities will be about three miles apart.
This close competition is uncommon but not rare, especially in the most fiercely competitive healthcare markets in the US. Still, it will be interesting to see how this plays out seeing as how both facilities will open their doors around the same time.
Both organizations are downplaying the competitive element by saying the proximity of the two centers is really just a win for patients that will make central Ohio a center for innovation in neuroscience healthcare.
"There are some elements of competition for the same patients, but I think you have to look at it broadly," Dr. Ali Rezai, neuroscience program director at OSU's Wexner Medical Center, told a local newspaper. "People all over the state of Ohio will come here for innovative care.
And it's true, the competition will benefit patients—the two organizations will strive to attain the best physicians, offer the best technologies, and give the best patient experience.
Still, I have a feeling that one will stand out. Let's compare what we know so far.
Riverside Methodist Hospital Neuroscience Institute will be a 10-story neuroscience and cardiovascular tower, slated to open in Summer 2015. It is projected to cost $321 million, with financing from hospital cash reserves. It will add 14 beds to its already excising 114 beds, as well as 32 beds that can be repurposed for neuroscience care.
The OSU Brain and Spine Hospital will repurpose the organization's preexisting cancer hospital, completion date TBD. Leadership have already okayed $2 million for planning, estimating the final cost will be in the "tens of millions." It will potentially add dozens of bends to its current 70-80 beds.
On paper, the two centers seem to be neck-and-neck with both having a similar amount of beds and modern facilities. However, OhioHealth has put its 10-month lead to good use by creating an attractive, intricate microsite outlining the details of its new hospital.
The site includes a 3D mock up of the new facility, information about current and future services, a construction timeline of events, and even a super-cool live webcam of the construction site. Meanwhile, I couldn't find any information about Ohio State's new center after five minutes of searching on their website (and really, who is going to look for more than five minutes?).
So while 10 months doesn't seem like a lot of time, Ohio State already has a good deal of catching up to do on the marketing and communications front. Ultimately, though, the organization that comes out on top will provide the best services, effectively communicate the benefits of those services, and provide the best patient experience.
And, hopefully, success will have nothing to do with which organization's café has the shortest line.
Marianne Aiello is a contributing writer at HealthLeaders Media.