Cleveland Clinic to Close Community Hospital, Reflecting Growing Trend
June 7, 2011 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Cleveland Clinic announced plans Monday to close Huron Hospital, a community medical center it owns in an impoverished neighborhood, The New York Times says.
Citing mounting losses and declining admissions, the nonprofit clinic said it would replace the 211-bed East Cleveland facility–one of nine community hospitals it owns–with a much smaller family health center.
The move by one of the nation’s leading health systems reflects a growing trend as the new federal health care law, which is expected to cut payments for in-patient care, and other circumstances prompt operators to convert or close facilities with empty beds and unused services, according to The Times.
Cleveland city officials said they had no advance warning of the Cleveland Clinic’s decision and are considering legal action to fight the Huron closure, according to The Plain Dealer.
