Staff photos / R. Michael Semple . . . Insight Health Systems CEO Dr. Jawad Shah talks with nurses before the start of a meeting Tuesday at the Trumbull County Administration Building in Warren about plans for reopening Trumbull and Hillside hospitals.

WARREN — Insight Health Systems expects to resume operations at the former Trumbull Regional Medical Center within weeks. Reopening the former Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Howland will take longer, with no date in sight.

Dr. Jawad Shah, Insight Health’s CEO, met with Trumbull County Commissioners Rick Hernandez, Denny Malloy and Tony Bernard on Tuesday in a special session to discuss the status of the health system.

Joining the approximately 30 to 40 people in attendance were U.S. Rep. David Joyce, R-Bainbridge; representatives for U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, and Jon Husted, R-Ohio; state Rep. David Thomas, R-Jefferson; Warren Mayor Doug Franklin; and Warren Safety-Service Director Eddie Colbert.

Shah said Insight must complete a few steps before opening its East Market Street facility. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has acknowledged its change of ownership from the now-defunct Steward Health Care. Insight is waiting to hear from the Ohio Department of Health and the Joint Commission.

“We are done with Steward,” Shah said. “We have nothing to do with them. They cannot touch our accounts. They have nothing to do with us.”

He said the property, owned by Medical Properties Trust, has been safeguarded and its equipment is in place.

“Everything is set to go,” he said.

He said Insight Trumbull’s emergency department will open first, along with its laboratory and pharmacy services. The cath lab will be accepting patients.

“These are critical, as well as critical next steps from there, we have to pause a little bit and try and understand what the volume is produced,” Shah said. “The ER volumes will dictate to us … as to what specialties we need, and start to go in responsibly. So that’s something that will be dictated by the community needs.”

Opening Insight’s Howland hospital will take longer, Shah said. Insight is awaiting change of ownership documents. He said that may take a few weeks.

“We don’t have specific answers,” he noted.

Shah did commit to the reopening of satellite facilities on Elm Road and in Austintown.

Union leaders and members of AFSCME Local 2026, Service Employees International Union District 1199 and the Ohio Nurses Association made up the majority of the audience. Their common theme was “transparency.”

“Our community got screwed by Steward,” said Tom Connelly, Local 2026 president. “Steward’s the bad guy in all this. We have to keep that first and foremost to remember. We don’t want a vacancy. We need a hospital.”

Union leaders said they could not commit as to how many members would be returning to work. They also lamented Insight leadership’s limited or nonexistent communications with the unions.

“I’m not really sure that all the negotiations with the nurses are going the way that they should be going, and they’re a critical part,” Bernard said. “They need to be at the table, and that agreement needs to be reached. Because when and if you do reopen, we don’t need you to close three months, four months down the road.”

Bernard also asked if Insight would have funds to stay in operation once it opened.

“If there’s significant volume, we’re going to see that revenue within a few weeks,” Shah said. “So that’s going to come into the emergency room through some of the efficient cath lab work we do, and so on and so forth. That will then dictate how we grow. On a financial level, clinically, we’re going to grow based upon the needs of the community. So we have to match these things together as we grow and so any support we can get from the community.”

Shah said Insight has lost $30 million since it entered Trumbull County in November 2024.

Part of his presentation dealt with those losses.

With Steward controlling billing, Insight had to rely on Steward to reimburse for Medicaid and Medicare services.

“And I really want the community to understand that we were left in a very difficult situation where now we’re facing a situation where we have zero control over accounts,” Shah said. “Working with the accounts is very critical for a hospital to be able to do work and get paid for it, simple as that. And when that’s not happening, there’s a deterioration of finances.”

Shah said Insight had been approached about selling its Trumbull County facilities.

“What I understand is that several hospitals have inquired to come and check out the facility,” he said. “But as I predicted, I didn’t believe anyone’s going to take it that seriously. Well, we’re happy to work with anyone that would support the growth and the quicker growth of the hospitals. We’re ready to partner with everyone.”

He also said Insight is in negotiations with Medical Properties Trust to purchase the property.

“MPT has been nothing but wonderful in trying to provide us the support necessary,” he said. “They, working with us now, have created a pathway for ultimate ownership of the (actual property).”