Health Care Quality Is Vital For Me, So I Recommend A FOR Vote On Issue 64

As a husband and father of five children, I take the health and well-being of my family very seriously. I want my family to have easy access to the best care available.

As your city councilman, my job is to work for the well-being of our community, too.

That’s why I support the health care plan that will provide Lakewood a new, state-of-the-art medical center that keeps dozens of high-quality healthcare services at the same convenient location in the heart of our downtown. The health care plan is already underway, and it will provide convenient, easy access for Lakewood patients, with walk-in primary care appointments, walk-in diagnostic services, and a full array of outpatient services all on-site.

No one wanted to see the hospital go. But after a year of research, public input, and negotiations, no health care system could be found to take on Lakewood Hospital and operate it as an inpatient facility. The only options available to Council were to let the hospital fail – irresponsibly leaving our community with nothing – or work for the best possible agreement with Cleveland Clinic based on their proposal to build a new outpatient medical center. So we made a difficult choice that delivers significant benefits to Lakewood patients and taxpayers – without any cost to residents.

A big priority for our residents under this plan – and for me – was uninterrupted emergency services. The health care plan delivers on this count: the existing ER remains open 24/7/365 – at the Cleveland Clinic’s expense – and a new, even larger emergency room will open across the street at the new health care center. And the new master agreement guarantees that emergency services will be available all day, every day, for years to come.

Council also successfully negotiated to make the Cleveland Clinic’s Mobile Stroke Unit available to Lakewood, which means faster treatment and better outcomes for stroke patients.

A vote FOR Issue 64 affirms the health care transformation plan and ensures that Lakewood keeps these benefits. That’s more than $120 million invested in Lakewood – at no cost to taxpayers!

Please join me in keeping high quality health care in Lakewood by voting FOR Issue 64.