Medina General Hospital to affiliate with Cleveland Clinic

Updated: 5:45 p.m.

MEDINA, Ohio — One of the remaining independent community hospitals in Northeast Ohio is joining the Cleveland Clinic.

Medina General Hospital and the Clinic signed an affiliation agreement that is expected to close later this year, the Clinic announced in a press release this afternoon.

Under the agreement, Medina General would get $40 million in capital from the Clinic. The Cleveland hospital system also would contribute $10 million to the Medina General Hospital Foundation, which supports the Medina hospital’s programs and services.

The Clinic would provide key management to Medina General, including a new president. Current president Gary Hallman plans to retire, the Beacon said.

Last April, Medina General broke off affiliation talks with University Hospitals, the other dominant hospital system in Greater Cleveland.

Mergers of large and small hospital systems in Northeast Ohio picked up steam several years ago when University Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic began to grow.

In early December 2007, Summa Health System in Akron completed its acquisition of Barberton Citizens Hospital from a for-profit hospital company.

The same day, the Clinic and Akron General Medical Center said they had formed a clinical affiliation. The Akron hospital remained independent under the agreement, but the Clinic could contribute medical expertise or add medical services.

In October, the Clinic’s chief executive, Dr. Toby Cosgrove, said his hospital system had signed a memorandum of understanding to explore affiliation with Medina General.