With recent expansions at many of the hospitals in Akron, residents can enjoy more quality health care than ever before.

In 2010, Akron Children's Hospital opened a new unit in its emergency department to serve patients with mental and behavioral health issues, which includes five patient rooms, a nurses' station, waiting room and family relaxation area.

The hospital has also obtained the 21-bed special care nursery at Summa Akron City Hospital, which opened February 1, 2011, and Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley is building a new 14,000-square-foot pediatric surgery department at the hospital's Beeghly campus in Boardman.

Additionally, Akron General has plans to construct a new Health and Wellness Center in Green that would offer a variety of services, including a 24-hour emergency department, radiology services, a lab, a breast health center, sports medicine, physical therapy and LifeStyles, a medically based fitness program.

The 98,000-square-foot facility would be modeled after Akron General's Health and Wellness Centers in Bath and Stow, with an additional 42,000-square-foot medical office building.

Also expanding is Summa Health System, which has opened a 10,000-square-foot facility in Medina that houses the first radiation oncology program in central Medina County, as well as Medina's first digital mammography suite. The facility also includes Summa Health System's first outpatient surgery center outside of Summit County.

Summa Health System is also building two new full-service emergency departments in Medina and Green, and is expanding the existing emergency departments at Summa Akron City Hospital, Summa Barberton Hospital and Summa Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital.