CLEVELAND and CONCORD, Ohio – University Hospitals and Lake Health have announced they have completed membership substitution which officially makes Lake Health a member of the UH health system.
The two organizations had announced their intention to integrate in December 2020. Lake Health will become UH’s Lake County flagship community-based health care provider.
Together, UH and Lake Health will ensure that patients continue to receive outstanding care from the same Lake Health doctors and nurses in the same locations they have come to know and trust.
Lake Health is UH’s largest addition to date, adding multiple hospitals and ambulatory centers and more than 3,000 caregivers and 600 physicians to the UH health system.
“The addition of Lake Health expands our geographic footprint and is consistent with our strategy of bringing care close to home for our patients throughout Northeast Ohio,” said Cliff Megerian, MD, FACS, CEO of UH. “It will ensure convenient access to the most advanced health care and services for patients in Lake County and surrounding communities now and in the future.”
“Today, we embark on a new chapter as we officially join University Hospitals,” said Cynthia Moore-Hardy, FACHE, president and CEO of Lake Health. “In UH, we have found a like-minded organization that will allow us to create a stronger future while still being reflective of our mission to the community. This future includes a shared commitment to grow our health care network while maintaining our community focus to provide top quality and personalized care to our patients.”
The agreement builds on UH’s legacy of expanding services at community hospitals and ensuring convenient access to the most advanced health care for patients. UH has committed to work closely with Lake Health’s Board of Trustees, physicians, leadership, employees and volunteers to bring investments that will benefit the communities served, including enhancements to facilities, equipment and services. Additionally, UH will provide leading-edge technology, innovative practices, strong clinical research and other initiatives that will complement and grow Lake Health’s highly regarded clinical programs.
“We are confident that our past experience will ensure a smooth and successful integration process that enhances care delivery to patients and leverages the strengths within our expanding organization,” said Dr. Megerian. “The integration will be guided by a shared philosophy and culture, and that is a commitment to our community and compassionate care. We have great respect for Lake Health, its leaders, physicians and caregivers, who are dedicated to serving their patients.”
Lake Health and UH have a long history of partnership, mainly through the Lake Health/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, located at the Lake Health Mentor Campus. Also in 2019, UH became a minority member of the Lake Health Beachwood Medical Center, an acute care hospital specializing in orthopedics, urology, spine and pain management, and in 2020, UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute cardiac and thoracic surgeons began performing surgery at Lake Health West Medical Center in Willoughby.
###
About Lake Health
For 19 consecutive years NorthCoast 99 has named Lake Health one of the 99 Best Places to Work in Northeast Ohio. Dedicated to redefining health care in Northeast Ohio, Lake Health provides patient- and family-centered care that promotes a lifetime of health and wellness. Lake Health delivers progressive, compassionate health care through 11 state-of-the-art facilities staffed by more than 600 physicians and 3,000 health care professionals. To learn more, visit https://lakehealth.org/or follow @LakeHealth on Twitter.
About University Hospitals
Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 20 hospitals (including 5 joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, located in Cleveland’s University Circle, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The main campus also includes University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; University Hospitals MacDonald Women’s Hospital, Ohio’s only hospital for women; University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, a high-volume national referral center for complex cardiovascular procedures; and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women’s health, orthopedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, transplantation and urology. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to Harrington Discovery Institute, part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with 28,000 physicians and employees. Advancing the Science of Health and the Art of Compassion is UH’s vision for benefitting its patients into the future, and the organization’s unwavering mission is To Heal. To Teach. To Discover. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook @UniversityHospitals and Twitter @UHhospitals. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.
