MetroHealth and an Ohio state lawmaker are urging Cleveland Clinic to reconsider its plans to pursue level 1 trauma center status at its main campus.
On Jan. 15, Cleveland Clinic announced it is pursuing level 1 designation in response to growing demand for trauma services across the region. Level 1 trauma centers must meet strict requirements, including 24/7 access to surgeons and specialists, and play a leading role in trauma education and research.
If approved, Cleveland Clinic’s main campus would become the third level 1 trauma center in the city, alongside University Hospitals and MetroHealth. The verification process, which involves oversight from the American College of Surgeons and state regulators, is expected to take about two years and would require the system to expand its emergency department and recruit additional specialists.
“MetroHealth is alarmed for our community and calls on the Cleveland Clinic to reevaluate its plans,” the system said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “Like similarly sized metropolitan areas, Greater Cleveland cannot sustain three Level I Trauma Centers. It will harm patient outcomes and increase costs for the entire community.”
MetroHealth declined to expand further on its concerns. Its main campus is about 7.5 miles southwest of Cleveland Clinic’s.
In a statement, state Rep. Darnell Brewer, D-Cleveland, shared concerns over what he called a lack of transparency in Cleveland Clinic’s announcement.
“While trauma care is life-saving and critical, this announcement raises serious concerns that require public discussion, transparency, and accountability before any expansion proceeds,” Mr. Brewer said. “Let me be clear: this isn’t opposition to trauma care. It’s a call for a community conversation that should have taken place before such an important decision was announced. I hope the Clinic will begin the conversation.”
Mr. Brewer called on Cleveland Clinic to publicly share data supporting the need for an additional level 1 trauma center in the region. He also asked the system to clarify how its expansion would affect existing trauma infrastructure and emergency response coordination, and whether it plans to involve community-based violence interruption programs in post-discharge care planning.
Meanwhile, University Hospitals said it intends to collaborate with local trauma providers.
“We hope to be able to work together across the Level I trauma providers to ensure that our community always has access to the best trauma care,” the system said in a statement.
In its statement, Cleveland Clinic said it transfers several hundred trauma patients annually to other providers and believes keeping those patients within its system could improve outcomes and enhance care coordination.
“Cleveland Clinic is the largest healthcare provider in the state of Ohio,” the statement said. “We currently treat the most complex medical conditions with expertise in high acuity care on our main campus. We are well positioned with a vital depth of resources and a comprehensive spectrum of services to care for patients. Annually, we transfer several hundred trauma patients out of our care and we believe treating them within our system could lead to improved outcomes and will provide them continuity of care.
“We care deeply about our community and providing Level 1 trauma care will help us better serve our patients and region.”
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