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Dayton Daily News
Dayton Business

BY THOMAS GNAU
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
 
 

The three-week saga of a cyberattack disrupting normal operations for one of the Dayton area’s major hospital systems appears to be at an end.

This situation arguably affected more of our readers than any other story in the past few weeks.

Kettering Health isn’t alone. The HIPPA Journal reported earlier this year that 2024 was an “annus horribilis" for health-care data breaches. While there appears to have been a slight reduction in the number of reported data breaches of 500 or more records, the number of individuals affected rose considerably, the journal said.

In this newsletter:

  • The onMain development may be on its way.
  • A downtown residential pioneer embarks on his next chapter.
  • Sinclair to spend millions on AI instruction.

Kettering Health says it has achieved stability

The Emergency Department waiting area at the new Kettering Health Springfield. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

The Emergency Department waiting area at the new Kettering Health Springfield. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Resolution? Three weeks after a cyberattack caused a system-wide technology outage at Kettering Health, the hospital organization was able to reach a sense of normalcy and stability with its operations.

MyChart: Bringing back access to the online patient portal MyChart and its phone lines for its call centers were some of the last steps in the approximately 21-day recovery process. This was about how long Kettering Health leaders said it could take.

Half of Ohio hospitals operate at a loss

The building is a marriage of the old South Park Methodist church and a new building. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

The building is a marriage of the old South Park Methodist church and a new building. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

Credit: Jim Noelker

The situation: After hospitals received an influx of public funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, some hospitals are now struggling to keep up with expenses.

Many hospitals bounced back quickly after the pandemic, while others are back to the financial challenges they faced prior to the pandemic, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis of hospital network financial data.

Why it matters: More than 50% of Ohio hospitals, and 72% of rural hospitals, reported negative operating margins over the past few years, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.

“They’re still on thin ice,” Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, said of rural hospitals.

onMain gets Dayton city approval

A rendering of onMain's first proposed building on the former Montgomery County Fairgrounds property in southern Dayton. CONTRIBUTED BY NBBJ

A rendering of onMain's first proposed building on the former Montgomery County Fairgrounds property in southern Dayton. CONTRIBUTED BY NBBJ

onMain may be on its way.

Approval: Developers have Dayton Plan Board approval to construct the first building on the former Montgomery County Fairgrounds property — the Think Dayton offices that the group says will create something new.

‘Knowledge’ campus: onMain (and yes, I am intentionally not capitalizing that first letter), the group redeveloping the old fairgrounds, wants to create a distinctive, walkable urban environment that will be home to “knowledge economy” jobs where skilled workers and other community members can gather, live and play.

Downtown development pioneer Charles Simms sells business to his sons

From left to right, Crosby Simms, Charles Simms and Robi Simms in front of their townhomes complex in the Wright Dunbar neighborhood. BRYANT BILLING / STAFF

From left to right, Crosby Simms, Charles Simms and Robi Simms in front of their townhomes complex in the Wright Dunbar neighborhood. BRYANT BILLING / STAFF

Credit: Bryant Billing

Housing developer Charles Simms is arguably on the list of the 10 or so people who have had the greatest impact on downtown Dayton in the past decade-plus. If you’ve lived or worked downtown since 2010, you have seen his company’s work.

The latest: Simms, whose company started a downtown Dayton residential boom, spoke with me recently about his decision to sell his development company to his sons, Robi and Crosby.

Sinclair to spend $5 million to advance AI learning

(L to R) Christi Amato, dean of the Sinclair eLearning division, Sinclair Board of Trustees Chair Bruce Feldman, Sinclair president Steve Johnson, Sinclair senior vice president of strategy and advancement Melissa Tolle, and Sinclair trustee Joe Sciabica announce a $5 million, three-year campaign teach AI at the college, with plans to have all course programs teach artificial intelligence. COURTESY OF SINCLAIR

(L to R) Christi Amato, dean of the Sinclair eLearning division, Sinclair Board of Trustees Chair Bruce Feldman, Sinclair president Steve Johnson, Sinclair senior vice president of strategy and advancement Melissa Tolle, and Sinclair trustee Joe Sciabica announce a $5 million, three-year campaign teach AI at the college, with plans to have all course programs teach artificial intelligence. COURTESY OF SINCLAIR

AI boost: Sinclair Community College will spend $5 million over three years to ensure courses teach artificial intelligence and help students learn how to use AI in the workplace.

What they’re saying: “We have to do things with AI faster than we would typically adapt new technologies,” said Christina Amato, dean of Sinclair’s eLearning division.

Contact me: Thanks for being here, as always. Tell me about your business at tom.gnau@coxinc.com or at X and Bluesky. I’m also on LinkedIn and on our Dayton Business page, with my colleagues. Find me as well on my Facebook page here.

Quick hits

Middletown’s Towne Mall: Gets development funds

Want to see the Bengals practice? That can be arranged.

Dayton Book Fair: Looking for a new home.

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