A road that cuts through the campus of Akron General Medical Center now bears the hospital’s name.
Akron General kicked off a yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary with a public unveiling of a street sign on the downtown campus with the thoroughfare’s new name: Akron General Avenue.
The City Council recently approved the name change from Wabash Avenue at the hospital’s request. It had been named Wabash since the late 19th century.
The health system owns the property on both sides of the entire street.
“This is one of our most important institutions,” Mayor Don Plusquellic said during Wednesday’s ceremony. “Best wishes for another 100 years as you start this celebration.”
The launch of the anniversary celebration comes after the health system recently announced a tentative deal to be acquired by the Cleveland Clinic and a national hospital chain — a move that President and Chief Executive Dr. Thomas “Tim” Stover said is needed to secure the hospital’s long-term future.
“This new partnership promises to build us into an even more essential community asset,” Stover said.
“Akron General was here for 100 years and we’re going to be here for another 100 years,” he said.
The ceremony renaming the street was the first of several events planned to mark the founding in 1914 of what was then known as Peoples Hospital. The festivities will culminate with a gala in August at the John S. Knight Center.
The hospital will be phasing in its new address — 1 Akron General Ave. — over the next two years as it replaces business cards, papers and other items, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.