Cleveland Clinic closing Huron Hospital

The Cleveland Clinic announced today that it will close Huron Hospital within 90 days. The closing includes that hospital's emergency department and trauma services. The hospital, which is 137 years old and one of the city's first hospitals, will continue to offer outpatient services until the Clinic opens the Huron Community Health Center at the Huron hospital campus Oct. 3. The Clinic faced public outcry and protests when it previously announced in October that it would end trauma services at Huron. "This is a difficult day for Cleveland Clinic, but we are firmly committed to caring for this community and supporting our employees affected by this decision," Clinic CEO /President Delos M. Cosgrove, MD, said in a press release. The Clinic said a steady decline in patient use, a rapidly shrinking population, costly maintenance of the hospital's aging facilities, and substantial fixed costs that were much higher than the hospital could maintain all contribute to the decision to close.