About Us
Providing Community Health and Support in the Greater Cleveland Area
Founded in 1920 by local residents responding to a flu epidemic, Southwest General has always been a hospital committed to supporting the community. We maintain strong ties to the Greater Cleveland area through our quality medical services, our partnerships with University Hospitals and local community organizations and our many community benefit programs promoting health and wellness.
Southwest General is home to nationally recognized physicians, state-of-the-art technology and a full range of medical, surgical and emergency services, including a Level III trauma center. Our services are designed to provide patients with care that addresses their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs.
Our Mission and Vision
At Southwest General, we have a long history of commitment to the health and wellbeing of our communities. Our mission statement reminds us of this commitment, first made by our founders when they opened the hospital so many decades ago:
Health is our Passion. Quality is our Focus. Compassion is our Way.
Our entire team holds these words close to the heart while treating patients and assisting families.
Going hand in hand with our mission, the Southwest General vision guides us in our commitment to excellence and community health:
The Vision of Southwest General is to be the leading health care system based in and serving the communities southwest of Cleveland.
We aim to be looked to by our communities as their first choice for advanced medicine and an exceptional health care experience—leading with unsurpassed quality, dynamic growth, innovative professionals, advanced facilities and supported by the financial performance to achieve this vision.
We pledge to continuously improve and to collaborate with other outstanding health care providers, so that we may be a trusted source for health and wellness services, bringing our care to members of our community, right where they live.
Partnering with University Hospitals
We strive to provide quality medical services to all who need us. Our unique partnering agreement with University Hospitals helps us continue to provide innovative patient care, including enhanced clinical services and program development. Additionally, it allows us to offer selected services of the following nationally renowned medical institutions:
- University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
- University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center
- University Hospitals MacDonald Women’s Hospital
Nationally Recognized for Excellence in Health Care
We are proud of the many awards and recognition our hospital has received over the years, as they attest to the outstanding quality of care patients can expect at Southwest General. Additionally, we are pleased to be recognized as a leading employer in Cuyahoga County. We have been named one of the “Top Workplaces” by The Plain Dealer for eight consecutive years and one of the great workplaces for top talent in Northeast Ohio, having earned the NorthCoast 99 Award from the Employers Resource Council for fourteen years. For a full list of our awards, visit our achievements and recognition page.
For more information about our services, resources and programs, call Southwest General today at 440-816-5050.
Our History
A Strong History of Community Support
Nothing characterizes Southwest General's community support more dramatically than its founding as The Community Hospital in 1920. Its creation followed a post-World War I flu epidemic during which many area residents died while being transported to the nearest Cleveland hospital. Convinced of the need for a local hospital, citizens of the southwest Cleveland area rallied to raise $100,000 in 10 days to build a 32-bed hospital in Berea.
For five years, until construction of the new hospital was completed, patients were cared for in Sprague Haven, an eight-bed facility established in a home formerly owned by the Sprague family in Berea.
The new community hospital opened on the corner of Bagley and Front streets in 1925. It had 32 beds and eight bassinets and sufficed until 1945 when the first addition was made to increase the capacity to 107 beds and 34 bassinets. Seven more additions and two name changes later, the hospital had grown to 166 beds. With no land remaining for expansion and a rapidly growing community to serve, a 22-acre site was purchased in neighboring Middleburg Heights upon which to construct a new 235-bed replacement hospital.
The new Southwest General Hospital was opened in 1975. It was constructed in part using funds from a self-imposed tax levy, supported by six communities in Southwest General's service area. The new facility, the health center's current location, was eventually expanded to 325 beds through an addition in 1983, 336 beds in 1994, 340 beds in 2000, 354 beds in 2006 and today stands at 368 beds.
In 1994, Southwest General Hospital changed its name to Southwest General Health Center to reflect its growing role in promoting wellness in the communities it serves.
The Symbol of the Mighty Oak
Situated on Old Oak Boulevard, with grounds once graced by 200-year-old oak trees, the health center continues to use the oak tree as part of its logo. Through the years, the tree has come to symbolize the strength, endurance and growth that are the Southwest General heritage.
Accreditations and Verifications
Southwest General is accredited by The Joint Commission, the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, the American Association of Blood Banks and the College of American Pathologists. It is a member of the Ohio Hospital Association and the Center for Health Affairs.
Additionally, Southwest General’s Trauma Service is verified by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma as a Level III trauma center. This verification recognizes that the Trauma Service has 24-hour, in-house coverage by highly specialized physicians and nurses prepared for the immediate treatment of the critically injured patient. The entire spectrum of care, from the pre-hospital phase through rehabilitation, is established to address the continuum of needs for the injured patient.