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The voices of discontent are growing with the news that St. Joseph Warren Hospital is closing its maternity ward in December with Mercy Health centralizing operations at St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital.
The Trumbull County commissioners released a letter Thursday evening addressing "the significant impact this decision will have on the residents of Trumbull County and the surrounding communities."
Commissions Tony Bernard, Rick Hernandez and Denny Malloy wrote that St. Joseph's decision was more than "the closure of a medical office or service line. It creates a significant gap in access to care for women, expectant mothers, families and patients who rely on local providers for timely and ongoing healthcare."
They called for the health system to immediately abandon plans to move the maternity services to Boardman and demanded St. Joseph management address nine issues.
They are:
• What specific services will no longer be available locally.
• How existing patients will be transitioned to alternative providers.
• What providers and facilities will be available to accept these patients.
• How transportation barriers will be addressed.
• How high-risk pregnancies and obstetric emergencies will be accommodated.
• How the increased demand on neighboring hospitals and emergency departments will be addressed.
• How the closure will affect local EMS, fire, police and 911 operations.
• What steps will be taken to prevent further deterioration of access to women’s healthcare in Trumbull County.
• What long-term plan exists to ensure that women and families in the community continue to have reasonable and timely access to appropriate care.
A call to a St. Joseph media representative for comment was not returned.
"When a critical service is removed from a community, the impact is felt by patients, families, employers, emergency responders, healthcare providers and taxpayers alike," the commissioners wrote. "The residents of Trumbull County deserve to know how their healthcare needs will be met."
Earlier Thursday afternoon, Mayor Steven Mientkiewicz said the decision to relocate the services from Trumbull County to Boardman has “serious implications” — not only for Niles, but every community in Trumbull County, noting additional travel burdens, stress for families and challenges for individuals lacking reliable transportation in areas far away from Boardman.
“Our responsibility as local leaders is to advocate for the health, safety, and well-being of the people we serve,” Mientkiewicz said. “Expecting mothers should not have to face additional uncertainty about where they will receive care during one of the most important and vulnerable times in their lives.
“Trumbull County is a community, and the availability of maternal healthcare affects every city, village, and township within it. The potential loss of these services would have consequences for families, healthcare providers, emergency responders, and the long-term well-being of our region.”
Mientkiewicz said local leaders recognize that healthcare organizations face complex financial, operation and staffing challenges, but they ask that Mercy Health engage in discussions to explore every reasonable alternative, as well as consider the broader regional impact.
“Opportunities to meet with Mercy Health leadership to discuss these concerns, review the potential consequences for our residents, and explore solutions that would preserve access to labor and delivery services within Trumbull County should not be ignored,” Mientkiewicz said.
Mientkiewicz said the goal is to work together toward an outcome that focuses on patient safety and access to care, noting that Mercy Health has an “important role” in the well-being of people in the region.