Analysis identifies Lorain's Mercy Regional Medical Center as at risk of reduction in services, closure

Lorain's Mercy Regional Medical Center is at risk of either closing or reducing services, according to a recent analysis by Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization. The Lorain hospital is one of nearly 450 hospitals throughout the nation that could face financial troubles following cuts to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, which were a part of President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" that was passed last year. In total, more than $900 billion in Medicaid funding is slated to be cut over the next decade. Eileen O'Grady, a researcher for Public Citizen and author of the report, stated that the reduction in funding will affect medical centers that aid individuals that come from lower-income backgrounds. "Trump's cuts to Medicaid will hurt millions of low-income and disabled Americans, and will deepen financial strains that are already plaguing rural and safety-net hospitals — compromising their ability to deliver care, potentially leading many to close," O'Grady stated. "Congress should take urgent action to restore all Medicaid funding cuts enacted by Trump and Republicans in Congress, and should extend the enhanced premium tax credits for coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces." In the analysis, Public Citizen defined an at-risk hospital as having two factors: 20 percent or more of a hospital's revenue between 2022 and 2024 came from a mixture of government program assistance, including Medicaid, and that the hospital had negative net-profit margins during that timeframe. Lorain's hospital matched those factors, according to Public Citizen. "The list of at-risk hospitals is meant to be descriptive rather than predictive," the analysis stated. "It does not forecast that these hospitals will close, but rather identifies the hospitals most financially at risk from severe Medicaid cuts." Lorain's Mercy Regional Medical Center was the only hospital in Lorain County included in Public Citizen's analysis. Three in Cuyahoga County were listed as at-risk: Euclid, Marymount and South Pointe hospitals. If Lorain's Mercy Regional Medical Center were to close or face a reduction of services, residents' access to health care would be impacted, according to Lorain County Health Commissioner Mark Adams. Adams cautioned against the consolidation of medical services, saying that it could remove avenues from community members who need health care. With less access to health care, Adams said people will decide to forego medical help — a decision that will affect a community's overall health. "When we start creating barriers — and this would be a barrier — you start reducing access, and you start reducing local access to care, people will make a decision," Adams said. "It's an absolute fact that people will make that decision if we create more obstacles to be able to get care." Mercy Regional Medical Center is a part of the Mercy Health network of hospitals. In a statement released Wednesday evening, Mercy Health said "Our doors remain open to serve our community and patients." The analysis was published a day before registered nurses held an informational picket outside the Lorain medical center on Wednesday. Through the rain, members of the SEIU District 1199 held signs that called for safe staffing, fair pay and better care. During Wednesday's informational picket, Kathleen Miller, a registered nurse at Mercy Regional Medical Center, said changes to the hospital would impact the community. "If this hospital were to shut down, this community would hurt," Miller said. "There's a lot of people that depend on this hospital." In a statement released Wednesday evening, Mercy Health said "Our doors remain open to serve our community and patients." Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@chroniclet.com.