MetroHealth will close six outpatient locations across Ohio's Greater Cleveland area in early October as part of a broader cost-containment strategy aimed at consolidating services and addressing rising charity care expenses.

The closures, effective October 3, will affect sites in Broadview Heights, Medina, North Royalton, Rocky River, Westlake, and the dental clinic at the Old Brooklyn Medical Center. Many services and staff will be relocated to larger MetroHealth facilities, according to the Cleveland-based health system.

President and CEO Dr. Christine Alexander said the decision reflects a need to balance efficiency with ongoing access. “While closing these locations is not easy, it’s a necessary step to ensure we can provide compassionate care in the most efficient way,” she said in a statement.
MetroHealth has expanded significantly over the last decade, but leadership says that growth led to redundancies and operational inefficiencies. The latest move is designed to consolidate resources, extend hours at larger sites, and expand availability of virtual care services.

The decision follows earlier workforce reductions announced in July, which affected roughly 125 administrative roles. The health system says these actions are necessary to offset the financial impact of rising charity care costs, which have doubled since 2022 and now exceed $1 million daily.

Board of trustees chair Dr. E. Harry Walker expressed support for the changes, citing industrywide financial pressures. “MetroHealth faces uncertainty about future funding for its core mission,” he said. “The Board of Trustees supports the System’s leadership and knows it is imperative to act now.”

Despite the closures, MetroHealth says 97% of Cuyahoga County residents remain within a 10-minute drive of one of its more than 20 community-based sites. A new outpatient health center is also slated to open on the system’s main campus in early 2026, which will include expanded services and a 24/7 drive-thru pharmacy.

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