Cleveland Clinic plans to open a new Level 1 trauma center at its main campus near Cleveland's University Circle in 2028, a move that could reshape emergency care in the region.
Level 1 trauma departments provide care for the highest level of critical injury, such as brain injuries, blunt force trauma and gunshot wounds. Cleveland already has two other such centers, operated by MetroHealth System and University Hospitals.
The proposal is drawing criticism from some who say a new trauma center may not be needed and could come with unintended consequences.
Why is Cleveland Clinic proposing the center?
In January, shortly after plans were announced, Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Tom Mihaljevic noted that the Clinic is the only health system of its size in the U.S. without a Level 1 trauma center.
鈥淢any of (our) trauma patients suffer brain trauma," he said. "So what are we gonna do with those patients? Deprive them of the opportunity to get the most comprehensive neurological care in the world?鈥�
Although the Clinic declined an interview for this story, Mihaljevic's statement reflects the hospital system's general stance: that a new trauma center is necessary to help better serve patients.
Why is this plan controversial?
Critics, including some doctors and health policy experts, say Cleveland may already have the right number of trauma centers, with one at MetroHealth and one at University Hospitals. They argue adding another could weaken the system by spreading patients and expertise too thin.
鈥淲hen someone is critically injured, there鈥檚 no time for uncertainty, because if you or someone you loved was in a car accident, what you would want to do is you want a team that鈥檚 seen it all before," said Dr. Vanessa Ho, a trauma surgeon at MetroHealth, Cuyahoga County's safety-net hospital.
She said trauma teams rely on repetition to build the coordination and trust needed in emergencies.
Health care consultant Tom Campanella said regional studies have found the Cleveland metro area doesn鈥檛 call for another trauma center.
鈥淭he two existing Level 1 trauma centers have been able to more than adequately serve that population," he said.
Campanella said he's concerned an additional trauma center could add to MetroHealth's financial struggles.
Has this issue been discussed before?
In 2013, when University Hospitals opened its Level 1 trauma center, MetroHealth leaders raised similar concerns about fragmentation and system strain.
A trauma surgeon who at that time led MetroHealth鈥檚 emergency department, Dr. Jeffrey Claridge, adding another Level 1 trauma center in Cleveland could weaken the region鈥檚 trauma system.
But Claridge is now at Cleveland Clinic. At a Ward 6 community meeting on Cleveland鈥檚 East Side in February, he said the Clinic operating a Level 1 center would reduce risky transfers and improve continuity of care by treating severely injured patients in-house.
鈥淲hat this means is you have a higher level of surgeons and team that鈥檚 in that hospital 24-7," he said.
Claridge added that the Clinic is part of a regional collaborative called the . He said that means coordination of care across hospital systems would be present from day one.
How does the community feel about the plan?
Some residents at the Ward 6 meeting supported expanding access and reducing transfers. Others questioned whether resources would be better spent in neighborhoods most affected by violence and injury.
Resident Valarie McCall, a strategy consultant and the former chief of government and international affairs for the City of Cleveland, brought up the Clinic鈥檚 closure of Huron Hospital and its Level 2 trauma center in East Cleveland 15 years ago.
鈥淚 want to just make sure we're not supporting a new trauma center ... and then you have to leave because the volume is decreasing," McCall said.
Claridge said she had a fair point, but that the Clinic is already thinking through how to coordinate with other hospitals to avoid a closure.
What's next?
At this point, the Cleveland Clinic is moving forward with its plans to open the new center in 2028.
There are no additional public meetings planned at this time.
