CLEVELAND, Ohio – MetroHealth System has been rolling out layoffs, facility closures and other cost-cutting measures, as it braces for a possible $50 million budget shortfall and worsening financial headwinds. The urgency isn’t just about the hospital’s survival — Cuyahoga County’s credit is on the line too.

Back in 2017, the county agreed to back MetroHealth’s billion-dollar campus transformation , including the new Glick Center, with a $64 million letter of credit — the value of MetroHealth’s annual debt payment. If the hospital ever failed to make its payment, a trustee could draw on the county’s credit to cover the bill.

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