Mom: Kids must have medical aid

Forum says it's looking to get the program restarted.
By ROGER G. SMITH
and DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITERS
YOUNGSTOWN -- Little coughs came from the front of the room. Nearby sat a laundry basket full of medicines.
All the coughs and bottles concerned eight children with serious breathing problems who looked on as Lareane Rue pleaded for help.
Rue is mother to four of the children. She asked city council members Wednesday for help toward restoring local health services needed by her kids and others.
Forum Health Tod Children's Hospital brought in Dr. Barry Cohen, a pediatric pulmonary physician in 1998 who was available whenever children needed help.
Discontinued program: The hospital recently discontinued the program.
"I was busy, but they closed the office for financial reasons," Dr. Cohen said. "I did lose money for them, but I was performing an essential service."
Forum's response: Evonne Woloshyn, Forum Health spokeswoman, said Dr. Cohen was released "as part of a program restructuring." The hospital is looking for a replacement, and one should be hired in the next few months, she said.
In the meantime, Forum is offering services to children through an affiliation with Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, which sends pediatric pulmonary physicians to this area once a month, Woloshyn said.
In cases of emergency, patients' parents should call Forum Health at (330) 740-3951.
Rue says that's not good enough.
Local children shouldn't have to travel to Cleveland, Pittsburgh or Akron for urgent treatment or have to stay in out-of-town hospitals, she argued.
"We need these services right in our Valley," Rue said.
She and other parents are trying to form a local pediatric respiratory care foundation, as other areas have.
Dr. Cohen said about 8,000 area children have severe respiratory problems.
Cited a need: There clearly is a need for such a program so children can get all the services they need in one place, he said, adding there needs to be a charitable organization involved to make it work financially.
Dr. Cohen estimated $500,000 to $700,000 is needed to start such a foundation.
Mayor George M. McKelvey suggested the parents seek help from local charitable foundations.
Dr. Cohen said he has been in contact with a few local officials, including U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr.'s office, to discuss finding foundations to fund the program.
"I would like to stay here if we could set up a program," Dr. Cohen said. "For me to set up a private practice isn't worth it. If Tod couldn't make a profit, I can't either."
If a local program is not established by the summer, Dr. Cohen said he would probably leave the area to work elsewhere.