A Big Welcome: Akron General Health System Joins Cleveland Clinic

Today, Akron General Health System 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 —join Cleveland Clinic.

“This is a momentous day for healthcare in Ohio,” says Toby Cosgrove, MD, President and CEO of Cleveland Clinic. “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.”

What’s next on the horizon

Now that Akron General is part of Cleveland Clinic, some of the immediate upcoming initiatives include integration planning, as well as:

• Breaking ground for the new emergency department on Nov. 20, 2015. 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 to Epic, in order to enhance safety, quality, patient experience and reduce the overall cost of care. This will allow providers to have complete information for patients receiving care anywhere throughout the newly expanded system.

The “next logical progression” for Summit County

“This is an exciting time not only for our two health systems, but for the citizens in Summit and surrounding counties, who will benefit from improved access to high-quality, affordable healthcare services,” notes Thomas L. “Tim” Stover, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Akron General Health System.

“Because both share the same goal of providing the absolute best patient experience, the joining of our systems was the next logical progression for Akron General. We are very excited about becoming Cleveland Clinic caregivers and look forward to expanding our services and improving our healthcare model so that we can provide even better care to our patients.”

To maintain important local input, the Akron General Health System’s board of trustees will remain in place as an advisory board going forward.

A closer look at upcoming initiatives

The affiliate relationship and continuous collaboration between Akron General and Cleveland Clinic has produced 17 work teams. Together, they have been collaborating on initiatives resulting in clinical improvements, cost savings and the sharing of best practices. Several mutually advantageous projects begun include:

• A new leading-edge ED. Development for a new emergency department at Akron General, which is expected to open in Fall 2017.
• A comprehensive team. Cleveland Clinic cardiothoracic surgeon Joseph Lahorra, MD, was the first Cleveland Clinic physician to begin practicing at Akron General as part of the affiliation in 2015. Dr. Lahorra sees patients as part of the comprehensive team at the Akron General Heart & Vascular Center.
• One transport service. Cleveland Clinic now provides ground and air transportation for critical care and trauma services for Akron General.
• Local pre- and post-transplant care. Patients in need of a kidney – and soon liver – transplantations are now able to see Cleveland Clinic physicians conveniently at Akron General and receive their pre-surgery and follow-up care after surgery in Akron.
• New infusion centers. Akron General was able to create two new infusion centers, one at the Akron General Health and Wellness Center – West, and the other at the Akron General Health & Wellness Center – North. These new infusion centers offer chemotherapy and other infusion services, such as rheumatology infusions. Another infusion center is set to open at the Akron General Health & Wellness Center – Green, by the end of 2015.
• Joint purchasing power. Akron General has seen a significant cost savings when it joined Cleveland Clinic’s group purchasing organization, Excelerate. To date, Akron General has achieved an estimated $1.3M in savings, with additional millions in savings expected.
• New medical equipment. Akron General is able to purchase the latest medical equipment that will link to a patient’s electronic medical record, including monitors, ventilators, TV system, nurse call systems and “smart” IV pumps. In addition, Akron General was able to add new nursery isolettes.