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WARREN -- When Trumbull County Commissioner Rick Hernandez questioned an official of the former Insight Hospital at Trumbull about whether its employees would be able to move their retirement accounts to new accounts, he was told they likely would be able to do so.
However, Hernandez added that Dayne Walling, the Insight Health representative he spoke with, told him that hospital officials are still working to one day reopen the facility. To move forward, Insight officials will have to obtain new agreements with the building's owner, Medical Properties Trust.
"Dr. (Jawad) Shah and Dr. Conn are actively working with MPT in meetings, to get that hospital put back in order internally, which they believe is their responsibility," Hernandez said at Tuesday's workshop. "Then they can come in and take care of whatever maintenance there is."
Commissioner Tony Bernard questioned Insight's license status.
"They have to pursue that again," Hernandez said.
Insight Health was once viewed as a promising partner to resuscitate the former Trumbull Regional Medical Center.
Hernandez noted he called Walling after hearing former Insight employees were questioning their ability to move funds from their retirement accounts.
"Walling said he has to talk to his attorneys, but said it is their (the employees) money," Hernandez reported. "He said he would get back to me once he is able to get information."
Liberty resident Kristen Rock, a Democratic candidate running for outgoing Commissioner Denny Malloy's seat, questioned commissioners about the overall healthcare access for people in Trumbull County.
Malloy responded that each commissioner over the past three years has worked alongside other elected officials, as well as the regional chamber and others, to bring a new hospital to the area.
"Individuals have reached out to multiple healthcare entities across the state, including Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals," Malloy said. "There was a loose-knit board formed that actually worked with Insight (Health) to bring them here. They are still meeting and engaging to try to bring a hospital here."
Malloy emphasized that bringing another hospital to the area is out of the city's (Warren) and county's hands.
"We are at the mercy of someone wanting to locate here," Malloy said. "Our port authority (Western Reserve Port Authority), Eastgate (Regional Council of Governments) and chamber of commerce (Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber) are marketing the area in its need for two hospitals here. There is not anything more that I feel that an elected official can do. There are a lot of moving parts that are out of our control."
Bernard said Mercy Health is opening an emergency room in Champion.
"There are things that are going on that we are not at liberty to talk about," he said. "We will do everything that we can."
An Ohio Department of Health spokesman said Tuesday afternoon that the department has had no recent talks about reopening Insight Health systems.