Opinion: It's time for Lakewood Hospital to close and a new era of healthcare delivery to begin

Nearly a year of controversy over the fate of Lakewood Hospital appears to be nearing an end. Lakewood City Council plans to vote Dec. 21 on a deal with the Cleveland Clinic that would close the city-owned hospital, which the Clinic manages, and replace it with a Clinic-owned family health center and emergency room. Barring any significant developments, council should approve it. City voters have had their say -- turning down a ballot issue that would have required a public vote before the hospital could close or downsize. The Lakewood Hospital Association and the Clinic proposed closure in January, citing declining revenue from the hospital's in-patient mode of delivering health care.