BHS Clarion announces plans for former Barnes Center

From staff reports

Butler Health System and its local facility, Clarion Hospital, has purchased the property formerly known as the Barnes Center from the Clarion University Foundation.

The new BHS Clarion location is in the Trinity Point development, just off routes 68 and 80, in Monroe Township.

“Butler Health System will invest in health care in Clarion County and the surrounding area,” BHS President and CEO Ken DeFurio said in a news release.

“During the pandemic, the community understands now more than ever the importance of Clarion Hospital. We are also committed to 21st century ambulatory care, led by local leadership.”

DeFurio said services at the new BHS location will be anchored by a modern, innovative approach to health care.

“The new location will include a Lifestyle Medicine Institute,” said Dr. Elliot Smith, president of Butler Medical Providers and chief of quality for BHS. “We are moving away from traditional illness care toward a whole new model of care focused on wellness.

“It will be supported through programs focused on changing lifestyle behaviors, prevention and education, and root cause of chronic diseases.”

Preliminary plans for the new building call for a regional Cardiovascular Center of Excellence, including cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery and electrophysiology, surrounded by outpatient diagnostic services, according to the news release.

There also will be a Women’s Health Center at the site, the release said, housing OB-GYN physicians, bone density and ultrasound scans, and 3D mammography, recently purchased by the Clarion Hospital Foundation.