More than two years after Bedford Medical Center closed, University Hospitals and the City of Bedford have come to an agreement over the former hospital site.
University Hospitals will transfer the former hospital site to Bedford, along with some surrounding properties. It will also pay the city a $2.1 million settlement.
The agreement ends the years-long litigation after UH closed Bedford Medical Center in 2022.
The city, which is predominantly Black and has many elderly residents, had originally sued to force UH to keep the hospital open, saying that closing the hospital would cause a “medical desert” and deepen racial health disparities in the area.
Bedford Mayor Stanley Koci said while the outcome is not what they had originally hoped for, the city can now focus on the search for another group to provide health care services in the community.
“We don't want to shut the door on anything," he said. "We want to open it. We want our citizens to have input into it.
So we're going to go with the town hall to start with.”
Koci said he is also considering sending a survey to city residents with their water bills for their feedback on the property's potential use.
A UH spokesperson said in an emailed statement that while the hospital system disputed some of the city’s facts and its choice to resolve the effort with litigation, it's pleased the issue has been resolved.
