Mercy Medical looks to strengthen future with Cleveland Clinic partnership

CANTON -- Mercy Medical Center could become part of the Cleveland Clinic.

The Sisters of Charity Health System, sole owner of Mercy Medical Center, signed a nonbinding letter of intent Friday to explore Mercy becoming a full member of the Cleveland Clinic health system. Mercy would maintain its Catholic identity through sponsorship by the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine.

The two hospital systems will do a "thorough review" to outline how to best meet the health care needs of Stark County and surrounding communities, according to a statement released Friday announcing the partnership.

Sisters of Charity began the process of exploring affiliations about two years ago, looking for a way to maintain and enhance patient care, said Thomas J. Strauss, president & CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System and interim CEO of Mercy.

"For Sisters of Charity, this is a critical decision. We would not be making decisions for any reason other than to strengthen Mercy for the future," said Sister Judith Ann Karam, congregational leader of Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine.

Partnering with the Cleveland Clinic will ensure Mercy remains strong as health care continues to transform, she said, noting that Sisters of Charity has been serving Stark County since 1908. "It's a legacy that's so important to us."

The partnership would allow Mercy to expand services, improve technology, provide additional support and investment to unmet needs in the community, build physician partnerships and increase access to highly specialized care for Stark County patients, according to the parties.

The two health care systems are working to finalize the agreement.

What's next?

The next step is a "due diligence process," which should take about three months. The two entities will go over the details of each organization and explore Mercy's needs to structure the final agreement, said Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, CEO and president of the Cleveland Clinic.

The missions of both entities are aligned. The partnership would allow them to "jointly find an even better way to offer even more services and continuous improvement in quality of services," he said.

Remaining a Catholic hospital and continuing to offer charity care is a top priority.

Mercy has been a Catholic hospital since its inception, Karam said. "That was very, very important for us as we continue down this journey."

Mercy's Catholic identity extends beyond the hospital to all of its stat care and other facilities, she said. All Sisters of Charity missions have specifications regarding Catholic ethics, religious directions, values, mission and rituals, including daily Mass.

All of it is "so critical to who we are," she said.

The Cleveland Clinic is committed to Mercy maintaining that identity, and it's been at the center of discussions about the partnership, Mihaljevic added.

Other ventures

This would be the Cleveland Clinic's first Stark County hospital, but not the first area partnership for the health system, which operates 11 hospitals in Northeast Ohio, including in neighboring Tuscarawas and Summit counties. The clinic also has more than 180 outpatient clinics throughout Ohio as well as locations in Florida, Las Vegas, Toronto, London and Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

In 2018, Union Hospital in Dover joined the health care system. The partnership followed a year where the hospital eliminated 20 jobs as part of a $3 million cost-cutting effort.

The Cleveland Clinic also operates Akron General Hospital and Medina Hospital.

It's difficult for single or two-hospital systems to continue to exist in the current health care climate, Strauss said.

Partnering with the Cleveland Clinic brings a host of benefits, including improved care, better IT and data systems and telemedicine, he said.

The hospital system is known for its high-quality patient care and strives to bring the same standard of excellence to all of its locations, Mihaljevic said.

The Cleveland Clinic also is dedicated to the employees at Mercy, who will be able to take advantage of more educational opportunities and shared resources, he said.

"We're excited about the future of health care in our communities together," Strauss said.

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