Steward Hospitals in Mahoning Valley to resume full operations

The all clear was given Saturday for Trumbull Regional and Hillside Rehabilitation hospitals to resume at 100% operations after a national agreement was reached between Steward Health and MPT.

People in the Mahoning Valley are now breathing a huge sigh of relief as this includes all admissions and ER operations that were previously halted.

A statement from Steward Health says the hospitals will now remain open and that, "All efforts to close both Trumbull Regional and Hillside have been paused and both facilities will remain fully operational..."

"I think that those that were working on this issue did receive some, at least temporary reprieve, in that that's good news for them and so they should cautiously move forward," Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber President and CEO Guy Coviello said.

Coviello said "cautiously," because anything could change. Nonetheless, he tells 21 News he's confident that whatever happens, people won't be without care.

"I think it's also important to realize that if for some reason this doesn't become a permanent solution, we are all still going to be OK," Coviello said. "We will still have quality robust health care provided by Mercy and Southwoods and Akron Children's and others," he said.

The race is also still on to try to switch owners for Sharon Regional Medical center, which Meadville Medical Center is attempting to purchase.

"As an economic developer, we don't wanna see any business close but when you combine that with the community impact, losing 600 jobs in a medical facility the size and the importance of Sharon Regional, this is just a very high priority item for us," said Rod Wilt, Executive Director of Penn-Northwest.

Wilt is hoping to make that transition over the next 3 to 4 months and said they have already made some progress.

"We have been able to quickly transition the Sharon Regional nursing program and it has already moved to Meadville with the support of Allegheny College and Meadville Medical Center," Wilt said.

Wilt tells 21 News allowing those students to continue their education is vitally important to them in all this.