Quality care to continue at Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital
Union Hospital is now Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital and a full member of the Cleveland Clinic Health System.
“Our primary mission to serve
the residents of this area has not changed,” explained Bruce James, president and chief executive officer of Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital, now the eleventh regional hospital in the system. “Our strong community hospital is now part of one of the world’s best healthcare systems, and we look forward to securing and growing services in the future right here.”
“We look forward to working together to keep ‘patients first’ every day, everywhere,” shared Dr. Edmund Sabanegh, president of the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus and Regional Hospitals. “We are excited to help Union Hospital provide the best care of patients of the Tuscarawas Valley in the same familiar community hospital setting.”
All programs and services as well as locations managed by Union Hospital and Union Physician Services, the hospital-operated network, will continue while the integration process proceeds. That process will match up what is offered by the Cleveland Clinic with its counterpart locally. “Integration of Union Hospital as part of the overall Cleveland Clinic family will be done at a thoughtful, balanced pace as we’ve done successfully with our other hospitals,” Dr. Sabanegh explained. “We will develop our integration plans with the leaders from Union Hospital who know their hospital and community the best.”
“We will begin an integration process that will examine our operating processes and procedures and look for ways to improve care and the delivery of care for our patients,” James added.
He also emphasized that all insurance plans accepted at Union, including Aultcare, will continue to be accepted. Patients will still see their physicians and providers of medical care and treatment where they always have. In addition,
Union Hospital’s 1,100 employees will continue to deliver care as they have since 1906. “It is very important for patients and the community to know that care will continue to be delivered here at the hospital by the same dedicated and professionally-trained staff members who are here now,” James stated.
Officials from both hospitals gathered together in May 2017 to announce a letter of intent had been signed between the parties. The agreement was approved several weeks ago by both the Ohio Regulatory Commission and the Federal Regulatory Commission. The announcement came after Union Hospital officially shared that operating costs were growing faster than revenue, forcing it to seek a partner to ensure operations and services could continue at current levels and allow for future growth.
Going forward, Sabanegh said that hospital officials will continue to provide updates to the community as integration progresses. James noted that Union Hospital will continue to work on attracting new physicians and providers to the community, especially for primary care services. They are looking forward to having the support of the Cleveland Clinic Health System in those efforts.
By: Beverly Keller
