Northside tells its story

Northside tells its story

Just a year ago, there was a very real concern that Northside Medical Center was going to be a fatal casualty in the reorganization of Forum Health.

Turnaround consultants had been in town for more than a year, and hospital liquidators were shopping Forum’s assets around.

Today, a lot has changed. Some assets have been sold and Tod Children’s Hospital is regrettably no longer a fixture on Forum’s Northside campus. But there are decided signs of life at Northside, which remains one of the area’s largest employers, with 1,500 employees, and an important destination for the patients of the 600 doctors who have staff privileges.

There’s a new cardiac catheterization laboratory, new specialized procedures in the radiology department and the 1,400 births expected at the hospital this year are more than a metaphor for new life. There will be 39 new residents in the hospital’s teaching program.

Renewed commitment

In a recent meeting with Vindicator editors, Michael Cicchillo, vice president of external affairs, stressed that Forum is committed to providing an outstanding level of healthcare at Northside and is actively involved in letting the public know what the hospital has to offer. Every employee group at the hospital is also on record as willing to work to keep the hospital viable and to provide high-quality medical service to their 10,000 patients a month (that includes in-patients, out-patients, emergency room, laboratory and diagnostic services).

The staff is proud of awards and top-10 ratings received in cardiac care, critical care and orthopedic services.

There will be more changes — necessarily. The economic and demographic footprint of the Mahoning Valley has changed and is evolving.

But it is encouraging to hear that Northside and Forum, which trace their roots to the very beginning of quality health care in the Mahoning Valley, have adopted a we’re-here-to-stay attitude. The Valley needs more of that.