Friday, April 16, 2021

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.