Dayton mayor says city 'not told truth' about Premier's decision to close Ohio hospital: 4 things to know

Dayton (Ohio) Mayor Nan Whaley said Wednesday city officials were surprised by Dayton-based Premier Health's unexpected decision to close Good Samaritan Hospital, according to the Dayton Daily News.

Here are four things to know about the situation.

1. Following the end of a city commission meeting Wednesday, Ms. Whaley said city officials were taken off guard by Premier Health's announcement it would close the Dayton-based hospital by the end of the year. She said the city has worked with Premier "for years," but was not informed of the health system's decision until four hours before the announcement.

"We have worked with Premier for years and even had asked in the fourth quarter [of 2017], 'were they making this consideration?' and they told us 'no' so getting a 'yes' that they were four hours before the announcement was a surprise to this body and this organization," she said.

2. Ms. Whaley reiterated her surprise to two Ohio media outlets after the meeting, stating the city "was not told the truth" by Premier officials about the hospital's closure. However, she said city officials want to ensure community input becomes an integral aspect of the redevelopment of Good Samaritan, the report states.

3. In a statement to the Dayton Daily News, Premier Health said, "We regret that city officials feel that way. Multiple aspects of the configuration of our health system were being assessed, and no decision was made until late in the day of Jan. 16. Without a board vote, we could not divulge details of this potential significant decision. We provided earnest and honest answers whenever questions were posed about Good Samaritan Hospital's future."

4. Premier Health officials also said the final decision to close Good Samaritan was approved by Premier Health's board of trustees the night before the health system announced its intent to close the hospital, according to the report.

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