Construction is underway on a major health care project in Trumbull County.

Mercy Health has broken ground on a 30,000-square-foot emergency and imaging center in Champion, which leaders say will bring faster, closer and more advanced care to thousands of residents.

The Mercy Health – Champion Emergency Center, located off 570 Educational Highway, will include 25 beds, a helipad, advanced imaging and a full laboratory.

“It’ll be open 24/7. It also has a full imaging suite where patients can get X-rays of various types," said Charlotte Gardiner, President of Mercy Health St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 
"And it also has a full laboratory center for patients that need to have blood work drawn."

Hospital leaders said the goal is to cut down on travel time and distance when every minute matters.

“I think with this facility, the gaps would be distance and time," Gardiner said, "When patients are sick, when family members are scared, they need access to care that’s very close to their community, and placing this campus in Champion Township answers that need." 

Massaro Construction Group is the contractor on the project, with most of the work staying local.

“This project will probably have about 30 subcontractors, and the core group of subcontractors that makes up about 70% of the dollar volume are local here in Trumbull County,” said Tim Jones, senior project manager for Massaro.

Mercy Health first announced plans for a Champion facility years ago, but put the project on hold.

“We’ve been discussing this project since at least 2016, and we’ve discerned and developed and evolved the project over time," said Dr. John Luellen, Mercy Health state president for Ohio, "and today we actually see it come to fruition."

Crews expect the opening will happen in late 2026 or early 2027.

Jones said anywhere from 20 to 120 workers will be on site during peak construction.

Gardiner said medical staff hiring will begin in the coming months, with a focus on recruiting nurses, doctors and other staff locally.