The Cleveland Clinic and the city of Lakewood are locked in a battle over the Clinic’s plan to cut trauma and pediatric inpatient services at Lakewood Hospital.
The fight could threaten Cleveland Clinic’s “Vision for Tomorrow” to plan to turn around the hospital, which has struggled financially for years, Crain’s Cleveland Business reports.
As part of its Vision for Tomorrow plan, the Clinic has invested more than (pdf) $24 million over the last three years into capital improvement at Lakewood Hospital, including opening a new orthopedic unit and renovating the parking garage. In addition to cutting services, the plan calls for the creation of four “centers of excellence” at the hospital in neurosciences, orthopedics, diabetes and geriatrics. The hospital would continue to provide emergency services and care for children that doesn’t exceed 23 hours.
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City of Lakewood officials are OK with the additions, but not so much with the subtractions.
The city maintains that its 30-year lease with the Clinic, which has about 16 years remaining, requires that trauma and inpatient pediatric services are provided at the hospital. However, the Clinic asserts that the lease “was intended to be a breathing document,” meaning one that’s subject to change.
Lakewood officials are also concerned that the Clinic could at some point in the future discontinue services in its “centers of excellence” areas.
An important deadline related to the dispute looms for this Saturday, June 5. City leaders must decide by then whether to pass emergency legislation that would force the Clinic to continue to offer pediatric inpatient and trauma services at Lakewood Hospital until the Clinic and city officials can reach an agreement on the lease, Lakewood Mayor Ed FitzGerald told Crain’s.
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FitzGerald said city officials are currently engaged in talks with the Clinic, and he characterized those conversations as friendly.