Tods, Beeghlys welcome changes at Forum Health

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

BOARDMAN — The Tod and Beeghly families, for whom recently closed and sold Forum Health facilities were named, welcome having their names affiliated with the new Akron Children’s Hospital.

Tod Children’s Hospital in Youngstown was closed June 30, and Beeghly Medical Park, at 6505 Market St., was sold earlier this month to Akron Children’s, which plans to create a pediatric hospital there.

Also, Beeghly Oaks, a long-term care facility on the Beeghly Medical Park campus, was recently sold.

“This begins the passing of an era from the long history of Forum Health and predecessors, locally owned, to new owners from outside the immediate area,” said Bruce R. Beeghly, president of Altronic Inc., and a former member of the Youngstown State University Board of Trustees.

“The family would look favorably on having the name continue to be connected with high-quality operations, but we have no idea what plans the new owners may have in this respect,” Beeghly added.

“However, the primary concern is to have quality and financially stable health care facilities for the benefit of the community,” said Beeghly, whose family has been in the Mahoning Valley since 1918 and has made its mark on business and philanthropy locally and across the country.

A state-of-the-art pediatric hospital — as indicated by Akron Children’s president William Considine — will be a major asset to the Mahoning Valley especially in view of the recent closing of Tod Children’s Hospital, Beeghly said.

Likewise, the Tod family is encouraged by the acquisition of Beeghly by Akron Children’s, and the hospital’s plans to establish a children’s hospital there.

“I believe we [the Tod family] would support the idea of our name being incorporated in the new Akron Children’s Hospital facility in Boardman,” said Sallie Tod Dutton, daughter of Fred and Nancy Tod, who had leadership roles in Tod Children’s history.

“We will continue to support pediatric medical care in Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley by supporting Akron Children’s Youngstown affiliate,” she added.

Also, Dutton said, “There is a lot of memorabilia at Northside Hospital that I know the family would like to see incorporated in the new facility.

“The family is very encouraged, and I was personally thrilled” by the news that Akron Children’s purchased Beeghly and intends to establish a children’s hospital there, she said.

“That was where we wanted to see it go. We believe Akron Children’s provides quality care for children, is very professional and has all the right values,” Dutton said. “Having a free-standing pediatric care facility is a big deal.”

Naming opportunities

During the news conference announcing the sale of Beeghly Medical Park to Akron Children’s, Considine, said there would be many naming opportunities at the new hospital.

In a previous meeting with Considine, Dutton said he pledged that the “Youngstown affiliate would offer the same level and quality of pediatric medical care that now exists at the Akron hospital. He indicated a desire to continue the Child Life and Education program that has been one of the hallmarks of the Tod Children's Hospital. He also promised to maintain transparency and to account separately for all funds raised in the name of Tod Children's Hospital and to use such funds exclusively for the Akron Children's Youngstown affiliate,” she said.

“We encourage those within the community who have supported the former Tod Children's Hospital to now support the Akron Children's Hospital-Youngstown affiliate. It is time that we all move on,” Dutton added.

“Our family, nevertheless, remains concerned about Forum Health, and specifically the adverse impact to health care for residents of the city of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley should Forum Health elect to close its Northside Medical Center,” she said.

She continued, “It is my sincere hope that Akron Children’s will employ some former Tod employees. Akron Children’s is nonunion, but under new circumstances, maybe they [the former Tod employees] will be given an opportunity. They were very devoted to the children and their work.”

alcorn@vindy.com