Lakewood Family Health Center Construction Begins

LAKEWOOD, OH - The Cleveland Clinic broke ground on the new Lakewood Family Health Center on Tuesday morning. The building will be located at 14601 Detroit Avenue. The $34 million facility is expected to be completed in summer 2018, the Clinic says in a press release. The new facility is 62,000 square-feet.

As part of the project, the Cleveland Clinic and the Lakewood Hospital Association are collaborating to form a $32 million non-profit organization focused on community health needs. The non-profit has not yet been formed, the Clinic says.

The new facility will offer several health services to the community, including: family and internal medicine, 24/7 full-service emergency department, imaging and lab services, diabetes education, chronic disease care, center for LGBT care, access to the mobile stroke unit, and more.

The Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program with Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine will also be present at the facility.

The groundbreaking ceremony included speeches from Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove and Lakewood Mayor Michael Summers, among others.

"Today, we launch a new commitment to the future of Lakewood and the health of this community," said Toby Cosgrove, M.D., CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic. "The Lakewood Family Health Center represents a new concept in healthcare which is customdesigned to meet the needs of Lakewood residents and their families. We are proud to also offer a new foundation dedicated to the health and wellness of Lakewood citizens."

The Family Health Center replaces Lakewood Hospital. The new facility will be controversial for a portion of Lakewood residents who opposed the loss of the hospital, namely citizens that were looking for a nay vote on Issue 64 during the November 2016 elections.

Some protesters loitered outside of the announcement area, holding signs that read "Save Lakewood Hospital" and "A Heart Attack Can't Wait".

The protest against the Lakewood Family Health Center has been raging for months, if not years. You can read up on some of the history of the objection to the facility by clicking here.

The construction project will be overseen by Whitting-Turner and Bostwick Design Partnership.

Photos from Rick Uldricks, Patch