For Immediate Release – November 26, 2025
Affiliated with the AFL-CIO
The repeated decision by Insight Health System to suspend operations at its hospitals in the
Mahoning Valley—following the collapse of former owner Steward Health Care—represents a
grievous blow to the residents of Warren, Trumbull County, and surrounding communities.
This is more than mismanagement—it is a reckless gamble with the health and well-being of
patients, especially those who depend on local hospital services for emergency, acute, and
rehabilitative care. After Steward stripped away essential healthcare infrastructure, communities
expected stability and good-faith leadership. Instead, Insight has abandoned them.
Let’s be clear: this is not an unfortunate misunderstanding. This is the direct result of Dr. Shah’s
decisions and Insight’s inability—or unwillingness—to operate these hospitals with even the
minimum level of competence or responsibility that patients, nurses, and health professionals
deserve.
Rick Lucas, RN, president of the Ohio Nurses Association, said, “Let’s be absolutely clear: every day without functioning hospitals in the Mahoning Valley puts lives at risk. We cannot allow corporate failures to turn this region into a healthcare desert. Hillside must be reopened. Trumble Regional Medical Center must be reopened, and they must be operated by a responsible, competent healthcare organization that actually cares about its mission to provide safe, high-quality patient care.”
The Ohio Nurses Association is calling on state lawmakers—including the governor, legislative
leaders, and public health regulators to step in immediately. Medical care is not a commodity to
be acquired, shuttered, and shuffled around like a bargaining chip. The Valley needs real
intervention, not more excuses.
The time is now for stronger oversight, meaningful accountability, and enforceable protections to
ensure that hospital closures, ownership changes, or financial maneuvers never again leave entire
communities without essential care. The Mahoning Valley needs long-term stability, and that
requires leaders who place patients—not profit and not expansion schemes—at the center of
every decision.
The people of the Valley—patients, workers, families—deserve more than blank promises. They
deserve real action, real oversight, and a real commitment to safeguarding healthcare access in
their 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.