Ralliers urge public input to keep Northside open



The major issue is access to health care for the entire Mahoning Valley.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Religious and labor leaders called Tuesday for the creation of a community-based commission to explore ideas and strategies for keeping Forum Health's Northside Medical Center open.
In his call to action, the Rev. Michael Harrison, pastor of Union Baptist Church, urged the 600 to 700 people at a rally at New Bethel Baptist Church to call the Forum Health headquarters and demand community input into its decision on the restructuring of the health-care organization.
"If you call often enough, I guarantee you someone will get in touch with somebody," the Rev. Mr. Harrison said, drawing sustained applause.
"There are two things that you need to do when you seek power: Organize people and organize money. The only thing that moves power is power," Mr. Harrison added.
Tuesday's rally was sponsored by the Service Employees International Union District 1199, which represents about 1,400 of Forum's 5,200 employees.
New Bethel played host to the rally out of concern for the future of Forum Health and to encourage dialogue between the union and Forum Health, said the Rev. Kenny Simon, pastor of New Bethel.
Health-care access
The major issue is access to and the quality of health care for the entire Mahoning Valley, particularly to the city's North Side, where Northside Medical Center is located, said David Regan, president of District 1199.
The Forum Health Board of Trustees has said it is planning a radical restructuring of the health system because it has been losing money for several years and projects a $40 million deficit for this year.
In a letter to employees this week, Dr. Keith Ghezzi, Forum's interim chief executive officer and president, said that action is needed within weeks to fend off bond holders, who he said might call in the bonds and cause Forum to have to sell assets to pay them off. Ghezzi said the board has a fiduciary responsibility to quickly take action.
Eric Williams, president of the Ohio Nurses Association, which represents about 770 nurses at Forum Health, questioned where the board's fiduciary responsibility was when all the money was being lost.
He said the union was told in January that Forum could continue as is for two years, and for four years with some adjustments. Williams asked how all of this happened in just six months.
Williams said the overriding issue is access to health care, which he thinks is a fundamental right.
He said Forum employees are concerned, and the community should be, too. By closing Northside, or reducing services, as the board has said it will do, "someone is going to deny you access to health care, and you ought to know why," Williams added.
"We need everybody in this community to put their heads together to save Northside Medical Center," Williams said.
Overstated problem
Regan acknowledged that Forum Health has financial problems. But he said the SEIU thinks the gloom-and-doom scenario painted by the board is overstating the problem.
What is needed, Regan said, is for the commission that results from Tuesday's meeting, consisting of leaders from government, business, community organizations, churches and unions, to approach Forum Health and insist on having a dialogue as early as next week.
alcorn@vindy.com

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