Access & Delivery
Mercy Health–St. Rita’s doubles down on obstetrics with 24/7 in-house coverage
While more than a dozen Ohio hospitals have closed, consolidated or suspended maternity services since 2022, Lima’s Mercy Health–St. Rita’s is expanding access by guaranteeing round-the-clock obstetric professionals so laboring patients no longer wait for their personal physician. President & CEO Ronda Lehman emphasized the system’s 100+ year commitment and investment in modern facilities and aesthetics “while others are pulling back.” The move shores up care in a region hit hard by rural OB closures.
March of Dimes - Maternity Care Desert map
Policy & Finance
Gubernatorial candidates clash on Medicaid work rules, affordability fixes and hospital closures
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy backs the new federal Medicaid work requirements (80 hours/month for most adults 19–64) and touts broader economic relief—zero income tax, lower utility/housing costs—to ease healthcare burdens, while Democrat Amy Acton supports “requirements and easy ways to meet them” but warns that cuts and lack of subsidies are already pushing 11 Ohio hospitals toward closure and forcing some families to travel over an hour for deliveries or basic care. Acton cited roadside births and heavy Medicaid reliance (4 in 10 Ohio births); Ramaswamy’s campaign called her attacks “cherry-picked” and “far-left.”
Statehouse News Bureau
Growth & Partnerships
Kettering Health deepens university partnership with education, research and physical expansion plans
Kettering Health and Ohio University are broadening their long-standing academic collaboration, adding new training and research initiatives while exploring physical growth into each other’s service areas to strengthen the southwest Ohio workforce pipeline amid persistent shortages.
Dayton Business Journal {PAYWALL}OhioHealth advances redevelopment of former Big Lots HQ into medical space
OhioHealth cleared key Columbus city approvals to convert the shuttered Big Lots headquarters into medical uses and continues evaluating specific clinical and operational plans for the prominent site.
Columbus Business First {PAYWALL}
Innovation & Tech
Bon Secours Mercy Health’s lean three-person VC arm closes four digital health deals in 2025
Accrete Health Partners invested $5–10M each in Hyro (agentic AI), Hellocare (virtual care), Trek Health (pricing data) and Definity (workforce), securing commercial contracts with the $13.3B system for every deal and touching all operating teams across 47 hospitals. CDO Jason Szczuka credits the “eat your own dog food” model—only investing where BSMH will be a major client—for high conversion and influence on the 2025 Most Wired list.
Accrete Health Partners digital health brands
Leadership Moves
Mercy Health Cincinnati promotes Michele Stokes to market Chief Nursing Officer
After serving interim since late 2025, Michele Stokes, a 30+ year Mercy Health veteran, officially became CNO of the Cincinnati market on Feb. 10, overseeing nursing strategy and care delivery across all settings.
Becker’s Hospital ReviewUniversity Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center ranks 7th nationally, 15th globally in academic brand strength
Brand Finance’s 2026 survey of 2,500+ healthcare professionals placed UH Cleveland Medical Center seventh among U.S. academic medical centers and 15th worldwide for reputation in patient care, research, education and training. CEO Cliff Megerian credited the system’s global academic partnerships (Case Western, Oxford, Technion, others) and focus on compassionate care and discovery.
Brand Finance 2026 Survey (available for purchase here)
Sources: Linked articles above + public records. Got feedback or a tip? Email us at ohpulse@trendlinehealth.com.