The Observation Deck

I'm not a lawyer but..

City Council agreed to substantial changes to the original lease and to the level of service at the Hospital only after the Clinic promised to make Lakewood Hospital a "center of excellence". They promised enhanced services and $50 million in new investment.

The ink was hardly dry when the Clinic instead accelerated the destruction of the Hospital. The $400 million lawsuit is much stronger than some suspect. In 2016 our new Mayor will be a supporter of the lawsuit and the Hospital. What then?

I think the discovery process will prove very interesting.

One reason I resurrected this piece was in the hopes that members of Council would see what was said and what was promised 5 years ago. What is the worth of a Cleveland Clinic promise? Can Mr. Cosgrove be trusted?

"Once a trust has been violated, it can rarely, if ever, be repaired." W. Wilson Caldwell.

Since 1996, the Clinic has been is a position of trust i.e. acting as a fiduciary for Lakewood citizens, including its most vulnerable.

The Clinic has always had complete dominion and control over Lakewood Hospital—they are fully capable of supporting Lakewood with programs that would make it profitable.

I am told that the Institute Heads of each of the so-called “Centers of Excellence” (the Clinic power players) have decided to close Lakewood Hospital for their own internal purposes and struggles. These guys don’t give a hoot about Lakewood --- Cosgrove has to satisfy their need$$$ or he loses power.

Just last month, the Clinic proudly announced $500K loses per month at the hospital as justification for closing it. They should be embarrassed, but they are instead shameless in their greed.

It is now beyond debate that the Clinic has violated and continues to violate the public trust. Lawsuits are about accountability.

In my view, any elected leader who sides with the Clinic on the Summers plan has a personal or political agenda in conflict with the needs of the citizens of Lakewood and undermines accountability. In other words, they are faux leaders who violate the public trust too. Ironically, LHA’s chairman, Tom Gable, (an individual defendant in the lawsuit) said at a Council Meeting of the Whole on May 18th—“There will be liability, accountability and responsibility.” Perfect! That is what lawsuits and elections are supposed to be about.

This bump is just meant as support to Jeff Dreger's post about Trust, Assurance and Micromanaging.

We have been in this situation before. The most troubling aspect is that even though the Clinic lied to Council and mislead the people of Lakewood about the vision of tomorrow Council seems willing to enter into another agreement with the Clinic. I suspect we will see similar results.

You don't need a crystal ball to predict the future - we have a history. This is an admitted "agreement," not a contract that can hold the Clinic to anything. It's a purposely vague and open agreement that allows the Clinic to do what is best for THEM.

The Clinic and it's lawyers - they sure are smarter than our leaders. They got out of a binding contract and now basically have NO legal obligations to the city.

It is time for us all to accept the fact that this was a done deal from the very beginning. Summers and Council never had any intentions of allowing any other health care entity to come into Lakewood to run our hospital. It appears that they and their friends at CCF have made one hell of a deal.

Thanks for this bump, Bill C.

Not being aware at the time what was going on, it's very interesting to read the concerns from 5 years ago. Plus, it's incredible how prophetic the original post is.

When will people wake up and realize what outright LIARS the CCF are and always have been?

Like I said before, it was a done deal from the very beginning.

Yes, I guess it has been written for some time that:

"Lakewood shall give the Cleveland Clinic the whole enchilada"