Akron General Health System Merges with Cleveland Clinic
CLEVELAND – Akron General Health System today officially became fully part of Cleveland Clinic, following the review of the Ohio Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission.
As part of the agreement, the entire Akron General Health System – including Akron General Medical Center, Lodi Community Hospital, the Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation Institute, three Health & Wellness centers, the Justin T. Rogers Hospice Care Center, Partners Physician Group, and Visiting Nurse Service and Affiliates – will join Cleveland Clinic.
The merger agreement was announced in August, less than a year after the Cleveland Clinic became a minority investor in the Akron system.
“This is a momentous day for health care in Ohio,” said Toby Cosgrove, M.D., president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic, in a statement. “We are pleased to welcome Akron General into our health system and we look forward to developing and expanding services and enhancing access for patients throughout Northeast Ohio.”
Now that Akron General is part of Cleveland Clinic, some of the immediate upcoming initiatives include integration planning, as well as:
- Breaking ground Nov. 20 for the new emergency department. Construction will begin on the facility in the first quarter of 2016;
- Opening a new outpatient facility in Portage County in the first quarter of 2016 and another in Lodi in 2016;
- Replacement of Akron General’s electronic medical record system.
The Akron General Health System’s board of trustees will remain in place as an advisory board, the announcement noted.
The affiliate relationship between Akron General and Cleveland Clinic has produced 17 work teams collaborating on clinical improvements, cost savings and the sharing of best practices.
Akron General has seen $1.3 million in cost savings since it joined Cleveland Clinic’s group purchasing organization, according to the announcement, “with additional millions in savings expected.”
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