Video: Another Rally to Protest Huron Hospital Closing Scheduled for Friday

On Friday, to protest the hospital's decision to close the Huron Road facility.

Fight for a Fair Economy and Black on Black Crime met for a march at 10 a.m. on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Mayfield Road. The crowd of about 30 chanted and held signs to show their opposition .

The group marched to the Cleveland Clinic between 93rd and 96th Street on Euclid Avenue and met city and county councilmembers, including Jeffrey Johnson, Julian Rogers and Kevin Conwell, and the mayor of East Cleveland, Gary Norton, for a rally. The local politicians spoke to the crowd, which grew to more than 60 people, under a blanket of umbrellas as it was pouring rain.

People at the rally said they wondered where the 850 employees of the hospital would find jobs once the facility closed. They were concerned for the city of East Cleveland, during the past 10 years, according to the 2010 Census. And they were worried that once Huron closes, people in life-threatening situations wouldn't make it to the other hospitals in time. 

Conwell said they need more people to fight the decision, and announced that there will be another rally at the same place at noon this Friday.

Eileen Sheil, spokesperson for Cleveland Clinic, said there was no further comment beyond the information that Huron Hospital has posted on its website, and this statement:

“Our commitment to our patients in East Cleveland has not changed. We’re transitioning the way we care for patients to better meet their healthcare needs. We are building a new Cleveland Clinic Huron Community Health Center that will focus on chronic diseases that are prevalent in this patient population. Inpatient care will be moved to Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, 2.5 miles from Huron Hospital, or other hospitals within our system. Transportation will be provided for those patients who need it.

"After efforts to preserve over the years, multiple factors led to the difficult decision to end inpatient services there. A declining population, reduced usage of the hospital, and a shrinking need for inpatient services required us to evaluate the best way to provide high-quality care to our patients, while using our resources responsibly. 

"Further, with the formation of the Northern Ohio Trauma Service (NOTS), we firmly believe that a regionalized approach to trauma will improve care and access to our communities across Northeast Ohio.

"We are planning to hold open forums to engage the community about the transition of the hospital and about the new Cleveland Clinic Huron Community Center in the near future.” 

Watch the video above from Conwell's speech Friday.