Our Mission
The mission of this hospital is the same today as it was when we opened the doors in 1963 - To provide the members of this rural community, and now the entire region, exceptional quality patient-centered healthcare from employees with compassion.

Our Vision
Our vision is to be the first choice and best regional healthcare provider, with a commitment to the quality of access for our patients.

Our Strategic Plan

Expand Primary Care Clinics
Reaching into our service region to open additional primary care clinics in surrounding communities will enhance accessibility to healthcare and keep medical dollars within our rural area. Lake Area Medical Associates (LAMA) is our primary care clinic located on campus. Designated as a Rural Health Clinic (RHC) through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services demands a higher level of inspection, is surveyed annually with scrutiny, but results in increasing federal dollars available to the community. A recent 4000 square foot expansion and renovation, 6 full-time providers and extended 7am – 7pm hours set precedent in this community and for future clinic placements.

Increase Financial Sustainability
Financial sustainability manifests by an acute awareness of the role each employee and patient play in our organization. In 2017, the patient census at Cleveland Area Hospital increased by 50% over the average of the prior two years. An exponential effort has been made to enhance services, upgrade equipment and technology, professional development, recruitment, culture, communications and first and foremost, patient care. Prioritization of capital purchases to improve patient care, and continually reassessing organizational needs to achieve the vision contributes to the success. Our chief executive officer, Edred Benton, serves the organization as an exemplary role model of financial stewardship and setting forth the vision of being an outlier among rural healthcare facilities. This has bestowed a sense of investment and ownership of this organization among the employees, as well as the Board of Directors.  

Workforce Development
Patient-centered care and teamwork drive our passion to retain and recruit the best healthcare staff and medical providers available. Valiant efforts are made to create desirable employment conditions and opportunities for the current team through programs such as tuition reimbursement, progressive compensation, and competitive benefits.  Physician recruitment efforts are an ongoing priority, engaged by the entire management team. We take a holistic approach to the development of our workforce, utilizing external resources to train and educate, as well as providing advanced training to our staff members on site. To ensure that patient values consistently guide all clinical decisions, CAH emphasizes collaboration within the entire enterprise.

Facility Replacement
We continue to care for the 60-year-old facility that has served the families of this community for decades. We are on course for facility replacement with the USDA Rural Development program committed to fund the construction of a new hospital. The strategic plan for this hospital as a haven for our rural population includes expanding to accommodate additional inpatient beds, surgical and specialty services, and increasing the capacity of every department to accommodate the higher volumes being seen.

Expansion of ServicesThe undeniable need to care for the community is a responsibility we take seriously and warrants the necessity and urgency of facility replacement. Partnering with OSU Medicine to staff our Emergency Department 24/7 with Board Certified Emergency Physicians and Hospitalists is an example of elevated collaborations that bring comprehensive