My beautiful daughter, Carly, passed away a year ago from complications of Progeria, an ultra-rare condition occurring in an estimated 1 in 20 million births. Carly was one of the faces representing Mercy Children’s, helping to raise funds through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. I know firsthand that high-quality pediatric care is expensive, essential, and time sensitive.
This is why I believe we are incredibly fortunate to have a nationally ranked partner like Nationwide Children’s Hospital committing to bring expertise and resources to the Toledo region. Their commitment is the foundation upon which we must build.
Today, we are in a stalemate focused on corporate turf, not kids’ needs. Our three major health systems have three different positions: one system (Mercy Health), which transferred operational control of its pediatric unit to Nationwide Children’s in 2022, relies on an active breach-of-contract lawsuit filed in Lucas County Court as its main negotiating tool; another system (ProMedica) understandably refuses to mediate with a pending lawsuit, a stance Judge McNamara acknowledged as reasonable; and a third system (Nationwide Children’s) stands ready to partner but is caught in the legal crossfire, while caring for our kids. In short, legal posturing is standing in the way of our children getting the collaborative care they need.
Collaboration is not a naturally occurring phenomenon; it’s something we build purposefully, together, utilizing all the benefits of modern technology to serve the needs of Northwest Ohio kids, like my Carly. No hospital system can own every expensive piece of machinery for all specialties, but as a community, we can certainly organize to make sure that families have access to all the care they need. We have the skills, the heart, and we have the need.
From my perspective, the current stalemate threatens the very collaborative premise that inspired 40+ new physicians and specialists to select Northwest Ohio to practice their skills. We cannot afford to lose this talent or momentum.
We need a clear starting place, which is why I was encouraged by the recent “unified statement” signed by our local leaders. I call on those signatories, particularly Mayor Kapszukiewicz and County Commissioners Lisa Sobecki, Pete Gerken and Anita Lopez, to transform their political will into a publicly-shared framework that addresses urgent needs and ends the stalemate by creating:
- A unified, seamless Electronic Health Record (EHR) system for Northwest Ohio’s pediatric patients so that regardless of where kids get care, all providers access the same single record, images, labs, notes, and prescriptions.
- Defined roles to ensure kids have access to the care they need, whether routine, specialty, or complex care (tertiary) including coordinated resources in Columbus.
Toledo needs an intentional, cooperative, and comprehensive pediatric solution. Our kids can’t wait. I respectfully ask that our leaders force the conversation in a transparent way that shows the cooperation (or lack there of) from all sides, without delay. I also ask fellow parents and medical staff, specifically pediatric staff, to speak out and be heard on this crucial issue for our community.
