Representatives from Wadsworth and two townships sued Summa Health System on Wednesday to try to bring a full-service hospital back to the city.
The lawsuit, filed in Medina County Common Pleas Court, stems from Summa’s decision to shutter inpatient units at Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital in July.
Summa acquired the hospital in 2008 for $1 through the Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital Association from the Wadsworth-Rittman Area Joint Township Hospital District, according to the lawsuit.
The district — created in 1965 to start a community hospital — has representatives from the city of Wadsworth and Milton and Wadsworth townships.
The 2008 agreement required Summa to turn over the assets to the hospital district if it stopped operating a full-service facility with inpatient services there, said Jeffrey Witschey, an Akron attorney representing the hospital district.
“The deal was that they would maintain a full-service hospital there,” he said. “They were not contractually required to do that, but if they didn’t, then ... the joint district would have the ability to get the hospital back.”
The hospital district is seeking control of the facility, plus damages to help restore inpatient services, or about $30 million, the value of the hospital assets, Witschey said.
“We would be open to the possibility of leasing it back to Summa or considering other organizations, some of which we believe might have interest,” he said.
In a prepared statement, Summa spokesman Mike Bernstein said the health system has “fully complied with our obligations under the relevant contract.”
“We remain deeply committed to the community and to continuing to provide the vast array of outpatient services that we offer,” he said. “The reality is, however, that the health-care industry has changed dramatically. ... As a result, utilization of inpatient services at Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital has decreased substantially in recent years. Continuing to invest resources in the inpatient facility would be an irresponsible use of community assets.
“It is our hope that continued dialogue will lead to a responsible resolution to this issue, but we will not operate inpatient services on the Wadsworth-Rittman campus.”
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/CherylPowellABJ.
