Summa Health System is one of the largest integrated delivery systems in Ohio. Formed in 1989 by the merger of Akron City Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital, this nonprofit system now encompasses a network of hospitals, community-based health centers, a health plan, a physician-hospital organization, an entrepreneurial entity, research and medical education and a foundation. Summa is nationally renowned for excellence in patient care and for exceptional approaches to healthcare delivery through a diverse portfolio of operating entities.
Summa Health System serves more than a half million patients each year in comprehensive emergency, acute, critical, outpatient, and long-term/home care settings, and represents more than 2,000 licensed, inpatient beds on the Summa Akron City, Summa St. Thomas, Summa Western Reserve, Summa Barberton, Summa Wadsworth-Rittman, and Robinson Memorial Hospital campuses. In addition, outpatient care is extended throughout Summit County in four community health centers and through partnerships with the Cuyahoga Falls Natatorium and the Shaw Jewish Community Center.
Providing superior, multi-specialty patient care, groundbreaking medical research and state-of-the-art continuing medical education, Summa is consistently ranked as one of the best healthcare providers in the country. Summa Health System has been recognized 11 years across multiple specialties as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, Summa’s heart, emergency, women’s health, stroke, and orthopaedics services have been recognized by organizations such as: Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, American Osteopathic Association’s Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the American Heart Association, Thomson Healthcare (formerly Solucient), The Leapfrog Group, and Premier healthcare alliance.
Summa continually seeks out new, innovative technology and treatment options for some of today’s most serious medical conditions — work that will ultimately improve and transform the way patients all over the world receive care. Summa invests approximately $6.5 million annually in overall research support for many areas, including cardiology, cancer and geriatrics. Major research programs are supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.
As a national leader in medical education, Summa supports the education of its physicians and healthcare professionals, investing more than $23 million annually in medical education. Summa’s Akron City and St. Thomas hospitals are teaching affiliates of the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), and include a staff of more than 1,200 physicians and 15 accredited residency training programs that foster a dynamic medical environment. Summa Western Reserve Hospital is a teaching affiliate of the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM) and the Consortium of Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE).
In 2008, Summa generated more than $1.6 billion of total economic impact within the State of Ohio. As Summit County’s largest employer — with more than 10,000 employees — Summa is a leading economic engine for the region.
For more information, visit www.summahealth.org.
