Note: this letter was published in the April 12, 2020 edition of the Toledo Blade.

It is breathtakingly sad to see the University of Toledo Board of Trustees apparently willing to put up a “For Sale” sign in front of the 41-year-old University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio Hospital.

Jettisoning the facility would seriously jeopardize the hospital’s historic teaching mission; hollow out a beautiful campus; destroy a longstanding culture of close integration, organizational seamlessness, and connectedness between the UT medical school and the hospital; and make it harder for South Toledoans to have convenient access to top-flight health care.

UTMC sits in the heart of Health Science Campus, physically connected by a system of below and above-ground tunnels and hallways to nine other buildings, a design that promotes the exchange of ideas, yeasty collaboration and serendipitous interaction, the hallmarks of an academic health center.

Gov. Mike DeWine should communicate directly with all stakeholders and put all the issues on the table so the people can see what is going on.

The governor and legislative leaders should do what they can to protect UTMC. As part of that process, the state attorney general should review the 2015 clinical affiliation agreement with ProMedica Health Systems for fairness in its implementation.

As The Blade has editorialized, a separate governance board for UTMC is an idea worth exploring. UTMC’s challenges differ significantly from those of UT colleges. A separate board would ensure that UTMC’s long-term interests are being served. Many teaching hospitals have governing boards separate from their parent universities.

At its dedication in 1979, then MCO President Richard D. Ruppert called the teaching hospital “a 258-bed classroom,” emphasizing its unique educational environment. That is as true today as it was in 1979.

The UT Medical Center should remain a teaching hospital. Thousands of physicians, nurses and other therapists can thank the hospital for part of their education. It is a treasure for the region, the state, and its citizens.

JIM WINKLER
Gainesville, Fla.

Editor’s note: The writer worked in several communication positions at MCO and UT for more than 30 years and is one of four editors of the book, “A Community of Scholars: Recollections of the Early Years of the Medical College of Ohio.”