History
What would become Mount Carmel West was first known as Hawkes Hospital of Mt. Carmel, and was founded by Dr. W. B. Hawkes (1812–1883). Before the building was completed, Dr. Hawkes died and was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. John W. Hamilton (1823–1898) was tasked to finish construction, and secured the services of the Sisters of the Holy Cross to operate the hospital.
The hospital was formally opened in 1886.[8] The hospital was opened intending to serve the needs of infants and women. In 1906, a second building adjoining the old one containing a chapel and 120 additional patient rooms was started. The Training School for Nurses was opened in 1903 and included eight sisters in the first graduating class. It has since become the Mount Carmel College of Nursing.[8] It was not until 1921 that an additional 120 patient rooms were added on as well as 20 rooms with recreation halls, three classrooms, and a library to help to the Mount Carmel School of Nursing which is what the nursing school was known as at the time.[8]
From 2014 to 2018, one of the hospital's doctors, William Husel, was to alleged to have overdosed 35 patients at Mount Carmel West and Mount Carmel St. Ann's. Husel was originally charged with the murder of 25 of them, for prescribing large doses of fentanyl, administered by nurses with no oversight. Eleven of those charges were dropped. On April 20, 2022, William Husel was acquitted of the other 14 charges. The hospital fired the doctor, paid $13 million to families in settlements, and the hospital's CEO and chief clinical officer resigned. About 20 employees were fired over the incidents.[9][10]
In late 2016, a plan was agreed that will begin in 2019 of the transformation of Mount Carmel West from a full inpatient hospital to a facility based on outpatient services while still retaining a full-service emergency department.[11] Mount Carmel Health System plans to begin demolishing the majority of Mount Carmel West hospital by spring 2019 after moving inpatient services will be moved to a new 210-bed hospital being constructed in Grove City. The Emergency department is being rebuilt in a new location. The College of Nursing will also be expanded. All planned work should be finished by 2020.[3]
