Lakewood City Council Approves Agreement With Lakewood Hospital Association, Cleveland Clinic

Lakewood City Council voted Monday night to approve the master agreement forged between the City, Lakewood Hospital Association and The Cleveland Clinic to ensure the availability of high quality health care, including 24/7/365 emergency services.

The unanimous vote came after more than 10 hours of public comments during three public readings of the ordinance presented to Council on December 7. Since the agreement involves real estate transactions, Council’s approval was required before elements of the agreement could be launched.

“With this vote, the City can move forward to create the kind of health care opportunities that will serve our residents for many years to come,” said Mary Louise Madigan, president of Lakewood City Council. “Members of City Council have spent nearly a year immersing themselves in the details of this agreement, along with the challenges facing communities like ours around the nation. Clearly, we came to believe over time that this agreement represents the most promising option to ensure innovative health and wellness programs along with economic development opportunities to keep Lakewood a strong and attractive community.”

“I am grateful to the members of City Council for their patience and fortitude,” said Mayor Michael P. Summers. “Months of negotiations have brought to this City a better agreement than what was initially announced back in January. Council and the community took the time to express what was most important to them. The agreement reflects their determination to make Lakewood a healthier community and a place where people will want to live and work for years to come.”

Key highlights of the agreement include:

• More personalized, responsive care and services for residents based on comprehensive research into community health needs
• Location of a modern family health center that creates more value for the downtown district and increases economic development
• Continued access to emergency services in a fully staffed emergency department open 24/7/365
• Creates a unique community health foundation forging a long-term partnership of elected officials, civic leaders, health care providers and others to ensure appropriate and innovative health services
• Holds health care providers accountable for effective programs that improve patient outcomes
• More flexibility in the use of community assets, with increased opportunity to develop city-owned property.
• The promise of a vibrant new downtown district to attract employers
• Meets the special needs of the community’s diverse population
• Reassurances for current employees of Lakewood Hospital