MetroHealth Chief Executive Officer Dr. Akram Boutros has announced a series of initiatives to expand the hospital's presence in the community.
He also presented a rough price tag of how much MetroHealth may need to tear town the outdated patient towers and reconstruct its West 25th Street campus. Boutros said MetroHealth may need as much as $1.2 billion dollars and up to 12 years for the transformation.
"We know that this is a very large amount, one that we could improve upon and will take a very long time to finance," Boutros said. "We also that none of us has an unlimited check book, so what we build will depend upon what we as a community can afford."
Boutros said MetroHealth is working with county and city leaders as well as private donors to determine financing options. Already, the hospital is using reserves, bonds and donations to begin the construction of 85 more intensive care rooms in its critical care pavilion.
The hospital is also seeking new ways to reach into the community. It announced a deal to open small clinics within Drug Mart stores. It will also provide nurses for the nursery at Providence House, and it has signed an agreement with health insurer CareSource to coordinate care for Medicaid patients.