Mercy Health continues to close health care gaps and meet the evolving needs of the Mahoning Valley.
The ministry marked significant growth through strategic investments that improved access, modernized care and strengthened clinical capacity in 2025. These improvements are reshaping the region’s health care landscape and setting the stage for continued expansion to ensure patients in Youngstown receive high-quality and compassionate care close to home, according to Dr. John Luellen, Mercy Health state president, Ohio.
A major milestone last year was the opening of a new behavioral health hospital in Liberty Township, Ohio. The 61,000 square-foot, 72 inpatient-bed facility, addresses a long-term need in the Mahoning Valley. Mercy Health Behavioral Hospital – a joint venture with LifePoint Behavioral Health – cares for both voluntary and involuntary patients with a variety of behavioral health challenges. The hospital facility includes community areas and therapeutic clinical spaces and expands care for the community’s most vulnerable residents.
A new walk-in care facility in Trumbull County expanded access to everyday care, bringing expert, same-day services to the community and offering care for colds, flu, sore throats, sprains, cuts and other minor issues.
Mercy Health – St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital also grew with new technology and the addition of a second interventional radiology suite. This advanced medical imaging technology strengthened the hospital’s ability to treat strokes, brain injuries and other neurological emergencies. The suite can capture imaging within four seconds and improves diagnostic precision and care coordination so patients receive answers faster and treatment plans can be implemented more efficiently. This investment doubled capacity across interventional radiology and interventional neuroradiology and provided comprehensive technology upgrades and standardization across both suites to maintain consistency in care delivery.
The hospital also announced the opening of an intermediate care unit and began construction on a new neuro intensive care unit. The new 16-bed intermediate care area improves patient flow, reduces bottlenecks and increases capacity. Construction on the new neuro ICU will quadruple the number of beds and further support the hospital’s role as a Level One Trauma Center, helping the center’s goal for certification as a comprehensive stroke center.
“The growth we achieved in 2025 didn’t happen without its hurdles, but we embraced every challenge with purpose,” Luellen says. “Each expansion and investment reinforced our long-term vision for a stronger, more accessible health care system in the Mahoning Valley. We’re proud of the progress made and look forward to seeing how it impacts the community and the patients we serve.”
The Mercy Health – Champion Emergency Center, a new 30,000 square-foot space, is under construction and will offer 24/7 care with full laboratory and phlebotomy services. The project continues Mercy Health’s push to overcome challenges, meet the community’s needs and address gaps in the market, Luellen says.
Pictured at top: The ribbon is cut at the opening of the new Mercy Health Behavioral Hospital in December.
