TOLEDO, Ohio — A popular St. Luke's Hospital residency program will continue to operate under the Mercy Health umbrella as operations continue to wind down at the Maumee hospital.
Mercy announced Monday it will take over the McLaren St. Luke's Family Medicine Residency Program and Center. The program will retain the existing faculty, staff and structure while inpatient rotations will transition from St. Luke's to Mercy Health-Perrysburg Hospital about two miles away.
According to a news release from Mercy, the program plans to continue many established community partnerships.
“We educate diverse residents to become accomplished Family Medicine physicians,” said Dr. Chris Zona, director of McLaren St. Luke’s Family Medicine Residency. “We look forward to joining Mercy Health to continue to provide compassionate, high quality and cost-effective care for our community.”
The transfer of sponsorship would be effective June 1, pending approval from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. This move will allow Mercy-St. Vincent's Hospital to offer two family medicine programs accredited by the ACGME.
The McLaren St. Luke's Family Medicine Center employs six physician faculty members, three non-physician faculty members and other staff. At least 16 physician residents will join Mercy as they continue to care for existing patients at their current facility on Lighthouse Way in Perrysburg.
“We are thrilled to have this outstanding family medicine program join Mercy Health,” said Dr. Randal Schlievert, vice president of Mercy Health Academic Affairs and Designated Institutional Official for Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center GME program. “Combined with their world class faculty, residents and staff, we can provide the administrative oversight to ensure this program continues its unique role in the community."
The new center will be known as Mercy Health-Lighthouse Way Family Center.
McLaren announced in March it will close St. Luke's this spring. St. Luke's has dealt with significant financial issues for years and is now losing millions of dollars each month.
McLaren has sent two notices to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services regarding layoffs - one on March 9 and another on March 24. The total number of workers to be laid off between now and May 31 stands at 861.
However Mercy is working to hire as many St. Luke's workers as possible. Mercy Health spokeswoman Eric Blake told WTOL 11 Monday that 410 workers have signed commitment letters with Mercy, including over 150 registered nurses.
Maumee Mayor Rich Carr previously told WTOL 11 he was assured the purchase agreement between the two entities would allow St. Luke's employees to find a job at Mercy and maintain their seniority. That purchase agreement is still being completed.
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