He’s never met the former owner, and he’s not friends or even business acquaintances with his children either.
And the president of 360 Healthcare Inc. – the new owner of East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry – knows no one associated with Alecto Healthcare either.
Those were some of the first questions tossed around on social media as soon as Harold Ramsey’s team announced Monday morning that he had purchased the shuttered medical facility, and that’s because many former employees, patients, and government officials have trust issues connected to the hospital’s former and failed ownerships.
“I know why they weren’t successful here,” the new owner revealed. “And we’re not going to make the same mistakes, that’s for sure.”
It was in June 2017 when Alecto Healthcare Services purchased both the Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling and EORH in Martins Ferry from the Ohio Valley Health Services and Education Corporation, and then in late September and early October, the California-based healthcare company closed both operations and eliminated about 1,200 jobs.
In early 2020, Dr. John Johnson purchased the property on South 4th Street and reopened East Ohio in February 2021, but just two months ago, a note was left on the Emergency Room’s front door that read, “HOSPITAL CLOSED! PLEASE GO TO THE NEAREST HOSPITAL TRINITY, REYNOLDS, OR WHEELING!” six weeks after celebrating its fourth anniversary.
“Most of the people I’ve met so far in the area have been straight shooters, and that’s something I appreciate very much,” Ramsey said. “I have met a lot of terrific people, and I’m a big believer in working with good people. I wasn’t surprised that people wanted to know my intentions, and I love that they came right out and asked.
“I think I’d be naive to not expect people to protect themselves from getting in a bad position again with this hospital. I get it,” he explained. “I’m willing to put in the work, and I know the team is, too, so we can start taking care of people in Martins Ferry again.”
It’s a Process
Along with working with local vendors and Martins Ferry and Belmont County elected officials, there are a lot of acronyms involved with the reopening of East Ohio Regional Hospital.
According to Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3722, hospitals in Ohio must be licensed by the ODH (Ohio Department of Health), and the facility must be certified by the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) or accredited by a CMS-approved organization.
The owner and his staff must acquire an NPI (National Provider Identifier), too, and there’s not a part of this process that is quick in nature.
“I’m very confident that we’ll get to a place where everything will work out for everyone, and that includes the former employees who are still owed, the vendors, the county; everyone,” Ramsey said. “We’re making great progress, so as long as we continue doing what we’re doing, we’re going to meet our goals and our expectations. We’ve built a lot of momentum this past week, and we’ve shown people we’re doing the right things to get the hospital open.
“Our plan is to work on all of the issues from the past, and that includes the property tax bill to Belmont County. I feel we’ve been very clear about that from the beginning,” he said. “We’ll be getting the power back on, and we’ll be getting our team back in the building so we can work on everything the way we should be.”
Once state, county, and local governments proclaim a collective “all-clear”, new employees must be willing to fill all positions and departments necessary to operate the hospital. The chief medical officer, Dr. David Shaffer, explained Friday afternoon on River Talk 100.1/100.9FM how happy he’s been with the response to EORH’s jobs@eohospital.com email request.
“I love the fact that so many of our former employees have already expressed that they want to come back to East Ohio. That should send a message to everyone in the region about the people we have here,” he said. “The complaints people have had about the hospital have not been about the care our patients have received. Those issues were at the very top and really had nothing to do with the people working at the hospital.
“It’s like a team that wants to get back together, and that’s why we’re really excited about this opportunity.”
More Than the Numbers
Ramsey visited with his key hospital staff on Tuesday, and he announced that power will return to the Medical Office Building this week so primary care physicians can open offices and begin scheduling patients.
Shaffer expects the demand to be great.
“Since March 20th, after the hospital closed, all I did was try to find a buyer and a way to reopen because I know how much we’re needed. Especially in Martins Ferry because we’re the help that’s just down the street instead of down in Glen Dale or Wheeling or Steubenville,” Shaffer said. “The people in Yorkville and Shadyside feel the same way.
“We fill an important role here and in the valley and we always have,” he believes. “That’s why it’s so important we get it right this time, and I believe that’s what Harold Ramsey is going to do.”
That’s what Shaffer told Ramsey, and the new owner heard him, his staff, and he heard the positive and the negative from the community, too.
“After visiting with the team in Martins Ferry this past week, I know this has to work. It’s one thing to crunch numbers on a spreadsheet, but when you see the people and walk the halls of the building, he feel the weight of all of it,” the New York native said. “It brought everything to a whole new level because I looked people in their eyes, and I saw their weary hearts. I know that sounds corny, but it really allowed me to feel the importance of this project and it’s not something I take lightly.
“I can’t move away from it because I know I’m the one who can affect the most change in their lives,” he explained. “I’m now involved with hundreds of lives, and it feels heavy and that’s why I think about it a lot. I think about it before going to bed, and it’s the first thing I think about after waking up. I just know I’m really thankful for the team that we have built and continue to build.
“We’re working hard every day toward the common goal, and that’s why I’m confident we’ll get this done,” he added. “The people need this hospital, especially the people who live in Martins Ferry and in the surrounding areas. That’s why we’re going to make it better than it’s ever been.”
(Novotney is a subcontractor for East Ohio Regional Hospital.)
Good stuff.
good news thanks, i was born in martins ferry hospital 1942, we need this hospital.
I understand why, but there were a lot of complaints about the care of patients at the end. The reason I point this out is because we need transparent honesty in order to make this work so, Dr. Shaffer’s comment sugarcoats one of the issues of patient care. It happened due to lack of equipment, inventory, etc which isnt the fault of the staff but patient care was one of the main complaints which is why the public have trust issues along with previous staff.