Union Hospital now full member of Cleveland Clinic

Union Hospital is now a full member of the Cleveland Clinic Health System, the two announced Monday, April 2.

Now known as "Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital," the Dover facility is the clinic's 11th regional hospital and the southern end of the system's service network. The two first announced last May they had signed a letter of intent for Union to join the clinic.

The work finalizing the agreement as well as the needed regulatory reviews recently were completed, according to a news release.

"Our strong community hospital is now part of one of the world's best health care systems and we look forward to securing and growing services in the future right here at Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital," said Bruce James, Union Hospital president and CEO, in a prepared statement. "Our primary mission to serve the residents of this area has not changed."

All services, programs and locations managed by Union Hospital and its hospital-operated physician network, Union Physician Services, will continue as the hospital starts the integration process, according to the release. Patients will see their same physicians/providers at their current locations, insurance plans accepted at the hospital will continue to be accepted as usual and all operations and appointments for outpatient services will proceed as scheduled. The 1,100 employees of Union Hospital will continue delivering care, according to the release.

"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," said Dr. Edmund Sabanegh, president of Cleveland Clinic Main Campus and Regional Hospitals, in a statement. "We will develop our integration plans with the leaders from Union Hospital, who know their hospital and their community the best. We look forward to working together to keep 'patients first,' every day, everywhere."

With the support of the clinic, Union Hospital will continue its work attracting new physicians and providers to the community, especially for primary care services, James said in the news release. He noted that changes that signal the new name, such as signs in and out of the hospital will be completed over time.

Union Hospital previously had a patient treatment relationship with the clinic through the clinic's Telestroke Network, a telemedicine service for the treatment of stroke patients at the Union Hospital Lauren Emergency Center and Cleveland Clinic's Cerebrovascular Center, according to the release.

Due to operating costs growing faster than revenues, the independent Union Hospital announced in 2016 that it would seek a partner to ensure operations and services would continue and be positioned for future growth. The hospital eliminated 20 jobs earlier that year as part of a $3 million cost-cutting effort, and had concerns that additional cutbacks would mean reductions in services and more lost jobs, according to the release.

"With the support and guidance of the Cleveland Clinic staff, 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 said. "It's also 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."

"Union Hospital now full member of Cleveland Clinic" originally appeared in Crain's Cleveland Business.