Austintown Ambulatory ends emergency room service

According to a press release from the hospital, by 6 p-m Monday, emergency room treatment at the Austintown Health Care Center will end.

Occupational services such as flu shots, physicals and drug screens will continue until 6 p-m Friday, October 16th.

After those dates all patients will be referred to Forum Health facilities in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties.

What will not change is the Open MRI and Surgical Center.

Those services will continue at the Austintown Health Care Center.

The facility's owner, Jim Conti says this has been a long time coming and that after being in the health care business for 30 years it's time to retire.

When Conti opened the Austintown Health Care Center in 1986, it was the first free-standing, non-hospital emergency room in Ohio.

Employees of Austintown E-R are being assisted with job placement at other facilities.