Dennis Kucinich, a Democratic candidate for governor of Ohio, is speaking out against Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health's plan to close Affinity Medical Center, a 156-bed hospital in Massillon, Ohio, on Feb. 4.
Quorum, a spinoff of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, announced plans in early January to shut down the facility due to financial troubles. The company said declining revenues, increasing provider compensation and a competitive market caused Affinity Medical Center to record financial losses for the last six years.
Affinity Medical Center's nurses rallied outside the facility Jan. 9 to seek support for keeping the hospital open. They were joined by Mr. Kucinich, who told those at the rally the city of Massillon can seek a restraining order to prevent the hospital closure. He said the city should look into eminent domain proceedings as a way to take over the hospital, according to the Cleveland Patch.
An Ohio Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice dated Jan. 5 indicated 692 of Affinity Medical Center's employees would be laid off by March 7. The closure will also result in 116 workers at Massillon-based Doctor's Hospital Physician Services, which provides services at Affinity Medical Center, losing their jobs, according to a separate WARN notice.
More articles on legal and regulatory issues:
Former Allina VP charged with 7 counts of theft
8 latest healthcare industry lawsuits
Repeat physician imposter heads to prison: 7 things to know