MetroHealth opens office in Medina
Cuyahoga hospital system capitalizing on new law
The MetroHealth System, of Cuyahoga County, has opened a new primary care office in Medina, thanks to a state law allowing the public hospital to operate outside of its home jurisdiction. Photo courtesy of METROHEALTH
Dr. Anthony Petruzzi
MEDINA – Taking advantage of House Bill 111, signed into law in September, the MetroHealth System has already expanded its reach of primary care services into Medina County.
MetroHealth, Cuyahoga County’s public hospital, announced Dec. 10 it has opened an office at 111 W. Reagan Parkway in the city of Medina. Dr. Anthony Petruzzi is accepting patients 16 and older at the new health center, which also offers walk-in appointments every weekday morning.
“We’re focused on keeping people healthy, and having a close relationship with your primary care provider is crucial to staying well,” said Michael Stern, MetroHealth’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We know our patients prefer to get care closer to where they live, and so this new health center makes it easier for those living in or near Medina County to access the care they need.”
Previously, publicly-funded hospitals – MetroHealth is partially supported by a Cuyahoga County levy – were largely prohibited from operating inpatient and primary care facilities outside of their home jurisdictions, but an amendment to HB 111 is worded in a way that now allows public hospitals specifically in charter counties to do so, but only in counties bordering other charter counties.
A charter county, according to Ohio Revised Code, is one operating under a constitutional government that does not possess home rule powers and can only act under what is authorized by the Ohio General Assembly.
Since Cuyahoga and Summit are the only two charter counties in the state and share a border, this means MetroHealth can now open up shop in Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne. No other county hospital in the state qualifies under this provision.
Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell lobbied the state, specifically Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Montville), to get HB 111 passed in response to Cleveland Clinic’s decision to close its maternity unit at Medina Hospital in 2017. Hanwell previously said he felt “betrayed” by the Clinic, while promising to seek viable alternatives to a void he ranks in his top three biggest issues he would like to solve as mayor.
Hanwell graciously welcomed MetroHealth’s Medina office.
“We look forward to collaborating and partnering with the MetroHealth team to explore and fill service voids within our community,” the mayor said Dec. 13. “We are thankful and appreciative of MetroHealth choosing Medina for their expansion into Medina County.”
While MetroHealth has not confirmed any future plans to restore a maternity unit in Medina County, another plus for it is “approximately 1,500 MetroHealth and Cuyahoga County employees, along with MetroHealth Skyway (a health plan provider for employers) members, live in Medina County,” according to a press release.
The release states MetroHealth will not use any portion of its Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services levy to support the new Medina facility, Metro’s second in Medina County next to the Brunswick Health Center opened in 2015 after an agreement between Cuyahoga and Medina County officials.
MetroHealth, Cuyahoga County’s public hospital, announced Dec. 10 it has opened an office at 111 W. Reagan Parkway in the city of Medina. Dr. Anthony Petruzzi is accepting patients 16 and older at the new health center, which also offers walk-in appointments every weekday morning.
“We’re focused on keeping people healthy, and having a close relationship with your primary care provider is crucial to staying well,” said Michael Stern, MetroHealth’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We know our patients prefer to get care closer to where they live, and so this new health center makes it easier for those living in or near Medina County to access the care they need.”
Previously, publicly-funded hospitals – MetroHealth is partially supported by a Cuyahoga County levy – were largely prohibited from operating inpatient and primary care facilities outside of their home jurisdictions, but an amendment to HB 111 is worded in a way that now allows public hospitals specifically in charter counties to do so, but only in counties bordering other charter counties.
A charter county, according to Ohio Revised Code, is one operating under a constitutional government that does not possess home rule powers and can only act under what is authorized by the Ohio General Assembly.
Since Cuyahoga and Summit are the only two charter counties in the state and share a border, this means MetroHealth can now open up shop in Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne. No other county hospital in the state qualifies under this provision.
Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell lobbied the state, specifically Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Montville), to get HB 111 passed in response to Cleveland Clinic’s decision to close its maternity unit at Medina Hospital in 2017. Hanwell previously said he felt “betrayed” by the Clinic, while promising to seek viable alternatives to a void he ranks in his top three biggest issues he would like to solve as mayor.
Hanwell graciously welcomed MetroHealth’s Medina office.
“We look forward to collaborating and partnering with the MetroHealth team to explore and fill service voids within our community,” the mayor said Dec. 13. “We are thankful and appreciative of MetroHealth choosing Medina for their expansion into Medina County.”
While MetroHealth has not confirmed any future plans to restore a maternity unit in Medina County, another plus for it is “approximately 1,500 MetroHealth and Cuyahoga County employees, along with MetroHealth Skyway (a health plan provider for employers) members, live in Medina County,” according to a press release.
The release states MetroHealth will not use any portion of its Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services levy to support the new Medina facility, Metro’s second in Medina County next to the Brunswick Health Center opened in 2015 after an agreement between Cuyahoga and Medina County officials.