Mercy Health, MetroHealth to discontinue trauma program at Mercy Health

Mercy Health and MetroHealth System have jointly decided to end the trauma program at Mercy Health – Lorain Hospital, effective October 15, according to a press release.

In the statement, Mercy Health – Lorain Hospital, located at 3700 Kolbe Road in Lorain, received the III Degree from the American College of Surgeons. It was stated that it would not request re-approval as a Level 1 Trauma Center.

Mercy Health and MetroHealth are proud of their long-standing commitment to the health and well-being of Lorain County, according to the statement.

After extensive review, this transition made the most sense for both Mercy Health and MetroHealth to ensure their health systems continue to provide high-quality, compassionate care in the future.

This decision will improve Mercy Health and MetroHealth’s ability to provide care to the right patient, in the right place and at the right time, the statement said.

Mercy Health — Lorain Hospital will continue to provide emergency care to the people of Lorain County.

Those experiencing severe, urgent or life-threatening symptoms can come to Mercy Health – Lorain Hospital emergency room as always or call 911 for help, the statement said.

Mercy Health – Lorain and Youngstown president Dr. “MetroHealth has been a great partner, and we are grateful for its team’s commitment to our patients since we came together in 2019,” John Luellen said in the statement. “Mercy Health will continue to provide exceptional urgent care to our patients, just as we have done since we opened the doors of Mercy Health – Lorain Hospital.”

Emergency rooms treat many serious and life-threatening conditions.

These conditions include large bone fractures in the body or face, burns, chest pain, heart palpitations, severe shortness of breath, severe bleeding, any head or eye injury, seizures, slurred speech, severe dizziness, or weakness or numbness on one side.

Mercy Health — Lorain Hospital’s emergency department will continue to provide care to anyone who has any of the above symptoms or is seeking emergency care, according to the release.

MetroHealth System’s vice president and CEO, Dr. “We are honored to partner with Mercy Health to provide high-quality trauma care to patients and communities in Lorain County,” Christine Alexander-Rager said in the release. “MetroHealth is proud to be Greater Cleveland’s most experienced Level 1 Adult Trauma Center, and our commitment to providing the highest level of emergency care remains unchanged.

“We will work closely with caregivers at Mercy Health to ensure a smooth transition.”

Mercy Health is intensely focused on evolving to meet the health care needs of Lorain County to better serve its patients and fulfill its commitment to the community, the statement said.

Investing in strategic growth throughout Lorain County to increase access to vital services, the statement said.

This includes hiring 10 new primary care physicians in the past 24 months, three of whom treat patients in south Lorain County.

Mercy Health expanded its specialty services by hiring four new orthopedic physicians and hiring new providers in pain management, ENT, rheumatology and OB/GYN.

Mercy Health also launched the only bariatric program in Lorain County while adding two new general surgeons in the past 24 months.

Mercy Health is also in the process of creating a family medicine residency program that will help train the next generation of primary care physicians to bring and retain top talent in Lorain County, the release said.

For more information about the healthcare services Mercy Health offers, visit: mercy.com.