Cleveland Clinic closes Huron Hospital

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Clinic’s Huron Hospital will end inpatient, emergency and trauma services on Monday after 137 years of operation.

Outpatient services at the hospital will remain open until Oct. 3, when the new Cleveland Clinic Huron Community Health Center opens.

The closing of Huron Hospital has been hotly debated issue for months, as city leaders in both Cleveland and East Cleveland opposed the decision.

The Clinic reached the decision to close the hospital in favor of a community health center after an evaluation of the hospital by a committee of the hospital’s board of directors and hospital leadership, according to a release from the Clinic.

“This health center is better designed to meet the changing needs of this community and will continue Huron Hospital's dedication to chronic disease management,” the Clinic said in a release. “It also will provide primary, preventive and wellness care.”

Patients with appointments at the main Clinic campus can take a shuttle to the hospital from the Huron Hospital location.

"Through several initiatives - including electronic medical records, patient navigators and free shuttle service - we will provide seamless, high-quality care,” said Dr. David Bronson, president of Cleveland Clinic Regional Hospitals.

Huron Hospital, founded in 1856, was one of the first hospitals in the city.