HOST: MetroHealth announced plans today to take over the emergency departments at two Northeast Ohio locations that once belonged to Kaiser Permanente. The news indicates more expansion of Northeast Ohio's public hospital. But ideastream's Sarah Jane Tribble says it raises a big question.
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HealthSpan bought Kaiser Permanente's insurance and medical office operations in Northeast Ohio two years ago.
Since then the company has kept its lower-cost insurance offerings in the market and continued to operate 11 locations.
But does the announcement today that the Cleveland Heights and Parma urgent cares will be turned into MetroHealth emergency departments mean HealthSpan is in trouble?
Dr. Nabil Chehade, president and market CEO for HealthSpan, says not at all.
"We strongly believe this is just another step retooling and refocusing what we do the best."
The company's efforts to retool include accepting patients from insurance companies outside of the former Kaiser plans. Healthspan's doctors will continue operating the medical offices in Parma and Cleveland Heights - just not the emergency departments.