CLEVELAND, Ohio — Wednesday’s announcement that Summa Health CEO Dr. Cliff Deveny is stepping down as the health system’s chief executive is the latest chapter in a story that began in 2024 with the announcement that Summa was being sold.

Summa’s $515 million sale to Health Assurance Transformation Co., or HATCo., took it from non-profit to the only for-profit hospital in Northeast Ohio.

Deveny will stay on as a strategic adviser and CEO emeritus through 2026, helping guide the transition to new ownership under HATCo., and a new CEO.

HATCo president Daryl Tol will serve as acting president and CEO until a permanent leader is named. The search for Deveny’s successor is expected to take six to nine months.

Here’s a brief timeline of Summa’s sale:

January 2024: Summa Health, an indepen

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