City officials in Xenia, Ohio, have proposed to acquire Kettering Health Greene Memorial hospital, claiming Kettering Health has cut services and drained resources from the hospital over the past decade, according to an Aug. 1 report from Dayton Daily News.
The news outlet obtained a letter city officials sent to Kettering Health CEO Mike Gentry in June, outlining an "exit ramp" in which Kettering would relay ownership of Greene Memorial to Xenia. The city would intend to work with a third party to maintain the 49-bed facility and provide healthcare services.
The officials claim Kettering has drastically cut services and resources at the hospital since it opened Soin Hospital in 2012. That facility is about 11 miles northwest of Greene Memorial and was estimated to be worth nearly $32 million, according to county records cited by the news outlet.
Since Soin Hospital opened, Greene Memorial, "has seen a systematic decrease in staffing, reduction of services and general decline in condition. Closure of the surgery center, removal of inpatient psych services, elimination of labor and delivery unit, and other reductions have left an empty shell of a facility," Xenia mayor Sarah Mays and city manager Brent Merriman wrote in the letter.
In a statement to Becker's, Kettering Health said, "We will communicate any plans for the future at the appropriate time as we continue to assess community needs and the realities of an evolving healthcare landscape."
"As always, we will keep lines of communication open with local leaders and collaborate to understand their perspectives, concerns, and how we can best serve the community going forward," the health system said.
The letter referenced a meeting in May between city officials and Kettering Health in which Kettering reportedly proposed plans to construct a stand-alone emergency department in place of the hospital, which city officials say would further reduce the region's access to healthcare services.
Mr. Gentry met with Xenia officials after receiving the letter, though no firm decisions were made on future plans for the facility.