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Hospitals want to improve efficiency, expand services to area
By Cheryl Powell
Beacon Journal medical writer
Published on Thursday, Oct 16, 2008
Faced with growing competition, one of the last independent hospitals in the region might soon team up with Northeast Ohio's largest.
Medina General Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic signed an agreement Wednesday to pursue an affiliation.
''There are many benefits this potential affiliation could bring, such as the enhancement of efficiencies and services here and an additional investment in our community,'' Medina General President and Chief Executive Gary D. Hallman said in a memo distributed to hospital staff on Wednesday.
Medina General has been seeking a partnership with a bigger hospital system in Akron or Cleveland since last year.
A proposed deal earlier this year with University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic's chief rival, didn't work out.
Since then, leaders from the Cleveland Clinic, Akron General Health System and Summa Health System of Akron have expressed interest in talking with Medina General about partnership opportunities.
At this point, Medina General's memorandum of understanding signed Wednesday is exclusively with the Cleveland Clinic, said Heather Phillips, spokeswoman for the Cleveland Clinic.
No deadline has been set for the talks to conclude, she said.
Summa spokesman Mike Bernstein said Wednesday that he was unaware of the deal between Medina General and the Cleveland Clinic.
Regardless, he said, Summa is continuing to move forward with plans to partner with Medina-area doctors to build an outpatient medical complex and surgery center about a mile away from Medina General.
''Our project is going forward, whichever way Medina General Hospital goes,'' agreed Dr. John M. Surso, a family physician in Medina who is president and chairman of the doctor group partnering with Summa.
The medical complex initially will include physician offices, an imaging center and a surgery center, but there is room on the property for expanded services — including possibly inpatient care, Surso said.
Other big hospitals systems from Cleveland and Akron have been eyeing the fast-growing Medina County.
On Wednesday, Akron General and Akron Children's Hospital broke ground for a 24-hour emergency department attached to Akron General Health & Wellness Center-West, in Bath Township, about 10 miles east of Medina General.
Earlier this year, University Hospitals affiliate Southwest General Health Center opened its Brunswick Medical Center, with an urgent-care center, testing services and doctors' offices.
The Cleveland Clinic also has its Brunswick Family Health Center, which provides family medicine, pediatrics, cardiology, optometry, physical therapy and sports health services.
Medina County's other community hospitals already have bigger partners.
Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital in eastern Medina County recently was acquired by Summa, and Lodi Community Hospital in southern Medina County is owned by Akron General.
Partnerships with bigger health systems can bring benefits to smaller hospitals by boosting revenue, lowering expenses through group purchasing and providing name recognition with consumers.
The nonprofit Medina General has said expenses exceeded revenue the past two years. The community hospital has about 1,000 employees.
In a memo distributed to staff, Cleveland Clinic President and Chief Executive Dr. Delos M. ''Toby'' Cosgrove said the deal being explored would allow Medina General to maintain its ''open medical staff model,'' which permits independent doctors to practice at the hospital.
Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic's main campus are employed by the hospital, but the clinic's eight other regional hospitals allow independent physicians on staff, Phillips said.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
Faced with growing competition, one of the last independent hospitals in the region might soon team up with Northeast Ohio's largest.
Get the full article here.
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