FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2025
Warren, Ohio –– The Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) is calling out Insight Health’s continued silence on the future of Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital, a facility that has been a cornerstone of post-acute and rehabilitative care in the Warren area for 62 years.
While the potential reopening of Trumbull Regional Medical Center offers a glimmer of hope for the region, Insight’s refusal to publicly address Hillside’s fate is unacceptable and a glaring omission.
“The closure of Hillside wasn’t just the shutdown of a building — it ripped away critical rehabilitative services from patients recovering from strokes, surgeries, and life-altering conditions,” said Rick Lucas, BSN, RN, CCRN, President and Executive Director of the Ohio Nurses Association.
“A hospital is not just a building. A hospital is its people — the nurses, therapists, and frontline staff who keep patients safe and who show up every day with their whole hearts,” said Lucas. “If Insight is serious about reopening Hillside, labor needs a seat at the table. Because without the workers, it’s just an empty shell.”
The sudden closure of Hillside left patients and families scrambling for essential care while the nurses and health professionals who devoted their careers to the hospital were abruptly left without jobs or answers.
ONA insists that if Insight Health is serious about rebuilding trust, it must:
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- Acknowledge the harm caused to patients, families, and workers by Hillside’s abrupt closure.
- Commit to transparency and accountability in all future plans for the hospital.
- Include labor at the table in all discussions about reopening Hillside.
“Insight has reputational and relational damage to repair,” Lucas continued. “You don’t discard a hospital and its people with no warning or plan and expect this community to simply forget. The workers who made Hillside what it was are ready to return — but only if there’s a real, lasting commitment to patients and staff.”
ONA calls on Insight Health and local leaders to prioritize restoring Hillside as a fully operational, community-centered hospital — one staffed by the dedicated professionals who have always served this region. Anything less is a betrayal of the Warren community.
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About ONA
Formed in 1904, the Ohio Nurses Association is a powerful network of nurses and health professionals. Our mission is to unite and empower nurses and health professionals, championing their rights, promoting professional practice, and advocating for quality care for all patients in Ohio, while fostering a strong and cohesive professional union community. To learn more or to become a member of the Ohio Nurses Association, visit www.ohnurses.org.