Medical company interested in buying local hospitals

WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – There’s now another medical company interested in buying a part of what Steward Health planned on closing in Trumbull County.

Insight Health System has been following the Steward bankruptcy since the start but it wasn’t until the past week that it considered buying Trumbull and Hillside.

Insight is a physician-led organization that started in Flint, Michigan, in 2008 and has since grown to six hospitals, six surgery centers — and 28 clinics. Most recently it bought Chicago’s Mercy Hospital.

What Insight is looking to buy locally is primarily Trumbull Regional Medical Center.

“You know one of the things for us that I think is unique is that we have taken on challenges like this whether it be in Flint or in the South Side of Chicago,” said Aburashed.

Insight has carved out a niche in the healthcare industry. It’s known for assuming ownership of distressed hospitals and turning them around.

“Our goals for Trumbull are to set this institution up for success for generations to come as an acute healthcare facility of the highest nature. We have a pathway towards ownership at Trumbull and we also recognize the importance of Hillside as well — although the legal pathways are a bit more winding with that,” Aburashed said.

Insight is not currently looking to buy any of Steward’s satellite operations in Austintown or Bazetta township.

In a statement this afternoon, Western Reserve Health Education and Warren City Hospital expressed optimism about Insight’s plans. Both organizations agree having Insight take over increases the likelihood that the hospitals stay open and survive.

Insight officials spent Wednesday touring the hospitals and they were impressed.

“We realized there was really a potential jeopardy here for this hospital to truly close. I think it was at this stage that we became much more engaged,” Aburashed said. “The administration was really caring about making sure we’re doing this correctly and that this place stands. The clinicians, all the physicians that we met last night were just incredible to sort of see them come together.”

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