At last, a positive prognosis for future of Forum Health

In recent weeks, optimism and hope have upstaged pessimism and doubt in the ongoing drama to ensure the Mahoning Valley’s oldest and largest health-care system can remain a vital cog in our community.

Ever since Forum Health filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection 14 months ago, secrecy has shrouded most efforts to resuscitate the financially ailing health-care system. Secrecy breeds fear, and fear breeds worst-case scenarios, including whispers of a total shutdown of the system, loss of thousands of good-paying jobs and a vast shrinkage in health-care competition in the Greater Youngstown-Warren area.

HOPE FROM TENNESSEE

In recent days and weeks, however, rays of hope have begun to replace those clouds of mystery and gloom.

Enter Ardent Health Services, a Nashville, Tenn., health-care system that operates seven full-service hospitals with 7,745 employees and annual revenues of $1.8 billion. Ardent has been in serious negotiations with Forum to purchase the system and, judging by all available signs, keep it intact. In addition, community leaders and Forum workers familiar with the negotiations are singing the praises of Ardent and believe its intentions for Forum are noble.

Assuming all of these signs are accurate — the substance of negotiations have been withheld from the public by a gag order — it is now incumbent upon all stakeholders in the future of Forum Health to work with Ardent to hammer out a final sale agreement that not only preserves Forum’s assets in our community but that also paves the way for expansion of them.

A primary source for this newfound optimism is Ardent itself. According to Kevin Gwin, spokesman for the corporation, “It’s no secret that we are interested in Forum Health. Everyone wants to preserve the jobs and access to health care that Forum represents in Northeast Ohio. We’re excited about the possibilities,” Gwin said.

That interest has translated into meetings with community leaders who also have expressed optimism and hope. Officials of Ardent, including David T. Vandewater, president and chief executive officer of the company, have met productively with Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, among others.

Further concrete evidence of Ardent’s serious intentions came last week when members of the Service Employees International Union District 1199 — representing one-third of Forum’s work force — overwhelmingly approved a five-year contract with Ardent.

According to Rob Johnson of SEIU 1199, “Everything will stay open if the group buys Forum. It plans to infuse millions of dollars into Forum Health, something that has not occurred in years. We believe a face-lift is coming. I wouldn’t be surprised to see expansion.”

WHAT MUST BE DONE NOW?

The contract would go into effect if and when Ardent completes the purchase of Forum.

Toward that end, other unions under the Forum umbrella must follow the lead of the SEIU and approve similar contracts as expeditiously as possible.

Further, community leaders and the Forum board must continue to work closely with Ardent, ensuring that the best interest of Forum’s assets and this community’s health needs remain top priorities.

Yet as all of us in the Valley know all too well, experience has taught us that last-minute setbacks could detour or derail any deal. That must not be allowed to happen with Ardent.

It is our hope that the optimism seen in the past few weeks and the seriousness of Ardent’s intentions continue toward a mutually happy ending for Ardent and for all stakeholders in the preservation and potential growth of health-care services in the Mahoning Valley.