Sisters of Charity Health System Signs Letter of Intent for Mercy Medical Center to Join Cleveland Clinic

Friday, September 27, 2019

---

Friday, Sept. 27, 2019, CANTON, Ohio – Cleveland Clinic and the Sisters of Charity Health System today signed a non-binding letter of intent to explore Mercy Medical Center becoming a full member of the Cleveland Clinic health system while maintaining its Catholic identity through sponsorship by the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine.

The Sisters of Charity Health System, which is the sole member of Mercy Medical Center, and Cleveland Clinic will begin a careful and thorough review to complete the due diligence process that will outline how they will move forward to best meet the health care needs of residents in Stark County and surrounding communities. 

“Since its founding in 1908, Mercy Medical Center has been a treasured ministry of the Sisters of Charity,” said Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA, congregational leader of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. “Our goal is to position Mercy so its caregivers, physicians and volunteers can continue to provide safe, high-quality Catholic health care to Stark County and beyond for generations to come. In our rapidly evolving health care environment, hospitals have a greater opportunity to successfully serve individuals, families and communities by working in clinically integrated systems of care. And, Cleveland Clinic is Ohio’s most comprehensive health care network.”

Benefits of the potential partnership include expanding high-quality services; expanding and improving technology at Mercy Medical Center; providing additional support and investment in addressing the unmet needs in the community; building physician synergies; and increasing the ease of access to the most highly specialized services for patients in Stark County if and when needed.

“We are excited for this potential partnership of Mercy with a world-class health system that will maintain its roots in Northeast Ohio,” said Thomas J. Strauss, president & CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System and interim CEO of Mercy. “Joining with Cleveland Clinic, which has strong local presence, will help Mercy Medical Center strengthen its services to the community; provide expanded options for clinical services and support important growth initiatives that will provide for the long-term sustainability of Catholic health care in Canton.”

The Sisters of Charity Health System and Cleveland Clinic will work toward finalizing a definitive agreement. The due diligence, regulatory and Church requirements will all inform the timeline and further details of this transaction.  

“Cleveland Clinic is committed to keeping Mercy Medical Center strong and ensuring that Catholic health care continues to be delivered in Stark County,” said Tom Mihaljevic, M.D., CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic. “Our mission is to do what is best for our patients, and to maintain a commitment to safety, quality and exceptional outcomes at every one of our hospitals. We know how important Mercy is to the people of Stark County and we look forward to continue providing opportunities for growth.”

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s top hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey and has ranked it No. 1 in heart care for 25 consecutive years. Cleveland Clinic currently operates 11 regional hospitals in Cuyahoga, Lorain, Medina, Summit and Tuscarawas counties.

Mercy Medical Center, a Catholic health care organization, operates a 476-bed hospital serving Stark, Carroll, Wayne, Holmes and Tuscarawas counties and parts of southeastern Ohio. It has 620 members on its medical staff and employs 2,500 people. U.S. News & World Report recently ranked Mercy 17th on its list of Ohio’s best hospitals.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 66,000 employees are more than 4,200 salaried physicians and researchers and 16,600 nurses, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic’s health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 11 regional hospitals in northeast Ohio, more than 180 northern Ohio outpatient locations – including 18 full-service family health centers and three health and wellness centers – and locations in southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nev.; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2018, there were 7.9 million total outpatient visits, 238,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 220,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CCforMedia and twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

About Mercy Medical Center

Mercy Medical Center, a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, operates a 476-bed hospital serving Stark, Carroll, Wayne, Holmes and Tuscarawas Counties and parts of Southeastern Ohio. It has 620 members on its Medical Staff and employs 2,500 people. Mercy operates outpatient health centers in Alliance, Carroll County, Jackson Township, Lake Township, Louisville, Massillon, North Canton, Plain Township and Tuscarawas County. A Catholic hospital, Mercy Medical Center upholds the mission and philosophy of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and continues to be responsive to the needs of the community. For more information, see cantonmercy.org.

About Sisters of Charity Health System

The Sisters of Charity Health System was established in 1982 as the parent corporation for the sponsored ministries of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine in Ohio and South Carolina. The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine is a congregation of women religious that, since founding in 1851, continues a faith-based legacy of high-quality, compassionate care in partnership with its co-ministers, who are the heart and hands of the ministry.

The Sisters of Charity Health System solely owns two Catholic hospitals: St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio; and Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio. The health system also oversees three grantmaking foundations located in Cleveland, Canton and Columbia, South Carolina. Each foundation sponsors significant community initiatives and collaborations that address causes and consequences of poverty. Outreach organizations include Joseph’s Home, a unique residential care center for homeless men in Cleveland; Early Childhood Resource Center for people working in childcare in all settings in Canton; Healthy Learners, a health care resource for children from low-income families in South Carolina; and the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families, a state-wide organization supporting initiatives to reengage fathers in the lives of their children. The Sisters of Charity Health System also provides residential elder care services at Regina Health Center in Richfield, Ohio, and Light of Hearts Villa in Bedford, Ohio. More information at sistersofcharityhealth.org.

###

Editor’s Note: Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request. 

Media Contacts: 

• Rebecca Gallant, Sisters of Charity Health System, 216-288-0239, rgallant@sistetsofcharityhealth.org 
• Cindy Hickey, Mercy Medical Center, 330-284-8489, cindy.hickey@cantonmercy.org
• Joe Milicia, Cleveland Clinic, 330-801-1204, milicij@ccf.org

PHOTO: Tom Strauss, Sister Judith Ann Karam CSA, Dr. Tom Mihaljevic