Q&A With the City’s Law Director About Lakewood Hospital

City of Lakewood Law Director Kevin Butler shared some of his thoughts about the future of Lakewood Hospital and the future of healthcare in Lakewood.

A number of questions and issues of interpretation regarding the lease and definitive agreement governing Lakewood have been raised since January 2015, when the Lakewood Hospital Association, Cleveland Clinic and the Lakewood Hospital Foundation proposed a plan that would replace Lakewood Hospital with a $34 million family health center and 24/7 emergency room, and a new community wellness foundation.

In the interest of ensuring the citizens of Lakewood have the relevant information needed to assess the future of Lakewood Hospital, the link below provides answers to some frequently asked questions.

Click here to have a look at the Q&A about the future of Lakewood Hospital.

Butler concludes that the Cleveland Clinic does not have a lease with the city and is not obligated to run Lakewood Hospital through the end of the city’s lease with LHA. LHA, the city’s tenant and the entity responsible for running the hospital, could cease operating the hospital notwithstanding the lease, leaving the city with no partners to run the hospital. The Cleveland Clinic is not required to cover LHA’s operating losses. And neither LHA nor the Cleveland Clinic is obligated to invest significant capital money into the hospital facility—making major improvements at the hospital the city’s responsibility.

“It’s my hope these questions and answers will help inform your views on the city government’s and the citizens’ roles in supporting a robust healthcare delivery model in Lakewood for years and decades to come,” he added.

Have a look at Kevin Butler’s full letter here.

For more on the future of Lakewood Hospital and the future of healthcare in Lakewood, click here.