Oct. 20 – Health, Human Services and the Arts Committee, Cleveland City Council
Covered by Documenter Gennifer Harding-Gosnell
What happened: St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is set to end in-patient care and replace general emergency care with urgent care. Ward 5 Council Member Richard Starr asked about the nearly 1,000 people who could lose their jobs. Janice Murphy, President and CEO of Sisters of Charity Health System, spoke about a commitment from University Hospitals (UH). She said Dr. Cliff Megerian, UH CEO, told her UH would retain work seniority for any ex-St. Vincent employees it hires. UH would also try to ensure people wouldn’t have to take pay cuts, Murphy said.
Behavioral health care: St. Vincent officials also discussed plans for its new health campus. The campus would surround the hospital. Susanna Krey, President of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, said green spaces and food security are among residents’ concerns. Dr. Michael Biscaro, Vice President of Behavioral Health Services, said they need to rethink response to people experiencing a mental health crisis. “Historically, law enforcement, hospitals and jails have been and remain the first line of defense for people experiencing a behavioral health crisis, and this is really not okay,” he said.
For more information, read Gennifer Harding-Gosnell’s Twitter thread from the meeting:
St. Vincent employee Angela Hines spoke about what the hospital means to the community at a Sept. 26 City Council meeting. Documenter Chau Tang captured Hines’ comments.