WARREN — A group of Warren-area community leaders is working on a multifaceted effort to buy and upgrade Trumbull Regional Medical Center, according to a news release sent Tuesday from local public relations firm Pecchia Communications.

The group plans to submit a formal offer to purchase the Warren hospital’s assets from Steward Health Care, which has been operating under Bankruptcy Court protection since May.

“Our primary objective is to save the hospital and all it means for health care in the community,” said John A. Guarnieri of Howland, a retired businessman and president of Warren City Hospital, the organization established to organize the purchase. “We are concerned that if we do not buy the hospital, it may close for good. That would leave the community’s health care needs grossly underserved.

“We are very optimistic that, with the right management, the right contracts and sufficient funding, Trumbull can recover from its recent challenges and reestablish itself as a quality health care provider, as it had been known for many decades. With cooperation from key sources, we have made tremendous strides in making sure all of the needs of this complex undertaking are met. We remain focused on achieving our goals.”

Other Warren City Hospital officers include Dr. Lindsey Brodell Dolohanty, vice president, a dermatologist and owner of Brodell Medical in Warren; John T. Woods, secretary, owner of Insurance Navigators Inc., a Warren health insurance agency; and Donald W. Emerson, treasurer, executive director of the Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority. All are members of the organization’s board of directors, along with Michael P. Slyk, a pharmacist in Howland and part-owner of several nursing and rehabilitation centers.

The group expects to submit its formal offer and a description of its plans to the Bankruptcy Court, Woods said. Among the elements of those plans are:

l A management company with expertise in reviving struggling community hospitals. This organization would operate Trumbull under contract with the Warren group. A tentative agreement is in place.

* Insurance and supply contracts. The Warren group would hire a separate company to establish contracts with medical insurance providers and key medical suppliers. Negotiations are in progress.

* Designation as a nonprofit. This would make the group eligible for foundation grants. An application to the Internal Revenue Service has been filed.

* Formal incorporation of Warren City Hospital. This has been completed. Warren City Hospital is the hospital’s original name; the Trumbull name could not be used because it is owned by Steward Health.

* At least $15 million in capital for the purchase and initial months of operation. Discussions with lenders, the hospital buildings’ owner and investors are in progress. Additional community support is needed to solidify investments by out-of-town investors involved in the plan.

“All of these important steps have required tremendous amounts of time and some financial contributions, and we have been fortunate to secure all of the support we’ve needed so far,” Woods said.

“But the outside investors working with us want to see more community support before they commit. We have secured some commitments for local funding, and had hoped to secure more before going public with our plans. But we are about $5 million short. A rejuvenated Trumbull is a goal shared by many in our community, so we are optimistic about closing this gap.”

Those interested in investing with the Warren City Hospital group can reach out via the group’s website, warrencityhospital.org, by phone at 330-646-9593 or by email at warrencityhospital@gmail.com.

Medical Properties Trust, the Alabama-based owner of the Trumbull Regional buildings, has been very supportive of this effort, Woods said. Several Trumbull physicians and Steward Health leaders have been helpful as well, he said.

A message seeking comment from a spokeswoman for Trumbull Regional Medical Center was not returned.

BANKRUPTCY STATUS

Late last month, Steward Health Care canceled auctions for hospitals it operates in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, stating in a court filing it has not received qualified bids for the health care facilities.

The detail was contained in a filing July 21 that also states the Dallas-based health care provider accepted bids for hospitals in Hope, Arkansas, and West Monroe, Louisiana.

Steward operates Trumbull Regional Medical Center in downtown Warren, Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Howland and Sharon Regional Medical Center in downtown Sharon, Pa.

The company is working with consultants “to evaluate alternatives with respect” to the local hospitals, the filing states.

“No decision has been made with respect” to the Trumbull Regional, Hillside and Sharon Regional, and Steward “will make a further announcement … at a later date,” the filing states.

Steward started the Chapter 11 process May 6 in a Houston bankruptcy court, listing billions in debt. Operating 31 hospitals in eight states, it is the largest physician-owned for-profit health care network in the U.S.