Hospitals’ partnership still awaits signatures

The pediatric hospital at Forum Health will cease to exist June 30.

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — The proposed Tod Children’s Hospital partnership between Forum Health, Humility of Mary Health Partners and Akron Children’s Hospital, presented as pretty much a done deal in February, is still not signed.

When the joint venture was announced Feb. 1, officials said it had the approval of the boards of trustees of all three proposed partners. But as of Monday, the deal had not been consummated.

Spokeswomen for Akron Children’s and Forum Health confirmed the unsigned status.

HMHP did not comment Monday on the proposed joint venture.

What is certain, however, is that as of June 30, all of Tod’s pediatric hospital services, including the emergency department, will be closed. That’s according to a recent memorandum written by Dr. Keith T. Ghezzi, Forum’s president and chief executive officer.

Other plans

In addition, Dr. Ghezzi said the board of the Ronald McDonald House, at 2450 Goleta Ave., is discussing finalization of plans for that facility. He said Akron Children’s will also ultimately assume operation of a local Ronald McDonald House.

In his memo, Dr. Ghezzi said children brought to Northside Medical Center’s adult emergency department will be treated and released, or transferred, if necessary, to St. Elizabeth Health Center’s pediatric emergency department.

At Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, pediatric patients will continue to be treated in the general emergency department, Dr. Ghezzi said.

In February, officials said the new Tod Children’s Hospital, operated and staffed by Akron Children’s, would occupy the seventh floor of HMHP’s $77 million, 108-bed hospital in Boardman. HMHP’s new hospital, at Market Street and McClurg Road, is scheduled to open this summer.

Best use of facilities

Dr. Ghezzi said a key element in Forum’s financial turnaround initiative is to explore the best uses of facilities, and to improve operational and financial efficiency.

To that end, the space being vacated by Forum’s pediatric emergency department will be used for a “Fast Trac” program, which is aimed at getting patients with nonlife-threatening conditions in and out of the emergency department more quickly. The program is already in place in emergency departments at TMH and Beeghly Medical Center in Warren.

In addition, Dr. Ghezzi said the Western Reserve Health Foundation continues to financially support the Western Reserve Care System, which includes Northside Medical Center and Beeghly Medical Park. Money earmarked for pediatric health care services will be used to that end, he said.

alcorn@vindy.com