Cuyahoga County Lawmakers Raise Concerns and Seek Answers from Cleveland Clinic on Proposed Level I Trauma Center

COLUMBUS - Members of the Cuyahoga County delegation today sent a letter to Cleveland Clinic leadership, requesting additional information and transparency regarding the health system's proposal to establish a new Level I adult and pediatric trauma center at its main campus in Cleveland.

In the letter, lawmakers emphasize that proposals to expand resource-intensive trauma services require careful evaluation to ensure there is a demonstrated community need and that it would not unintentionally increase healthcare costs, intensify workforce shortages, or undermine the stability of trauma services across the region.

"Before moving forward with a proposal of this scale, it is critical that we understand the impact it could have on patients, healthcare workers, and the safety-net providers our communities rely on," stated the lawmakers in the letter. "Our constituents deserve clear answers about whether this expansion improves access to care or simply duplicates services while driving up costs."

Cleveland Clinic has indicated it plans to seek provisional designation from the American College of Surgeons to begin operating a Level I trauma center with its initial consultation scheduled for June 10, 2026. Barring corrective actions following that consultation, the Clinic could begin seeing trauma patients under provisional operations as early as July 2026. Currently, the MetroHealth System and University Hospitals operate Cleveland's two Level I trauma centers, with MetroHealth serving as the region's longstanding safety-net trauma provider since 1992.

The delegation is requesting information on whether an additional Level I trauma center is necessary in the region, how the proposal could affect patient outcomes by diluting trauma case volumes across more hospitals, and how Cleveland Clinic plans to staff the facility amid an already strained healthcare workforce.

Lawmakers also raised concerns about the financial implications of creating redundant services that do not address a demonstrated community need and asked if Cleveland Clinic would agree to pause further action until an independent, transparent regional needs assessment is conducted.

"Ohio's trauma system works best when resources are strategically distributed, coordinated across providers, and focused on patient needs," the lawmakers wrote. "Our constituents deserve clear answers about how this proposal will affect access to care, the stability of existing trauma centers, and the overall healthcare system in Northeast Ohio."

The letter was signed by members of the Cuyahoga County delegation in the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate.