Youngstown Orthopaedic Associates is set to become part of Cleveland Clinic on Nov. 1, folding its Poland, Warren/Howland and Boardman offices into the health system's network even as a breach-of-contract lawsuit tied to the deal winds through Mahoning County court. The practice also announced that longtime doctor James D. Solmen is retiring from medicine effective Oct. 31, closing out his career just as the broader organization changes hands.
Two Announcements, One Pivotal Week for the Practice
The practice said effective November 1, 2026, our practice will join Cleveland Clinic, according to a news release distributed via PR Newswire. The announcement, first reported locally by WKBN.com, framed the move as a way to better provide high-quality care using resources provided by Cleveland Clinic. The practice said it does not anticipate any interruption in patient care as a result of this transition, per the release.
Patients won't have to drive far to find familiar offices under a new name. The release states that offices in Poland and Warren/Howland will become Cleveland Clinic Medical Outpatient Centers, remaining at their current locations. The Boardman location will remain open for imaging and transition to an Ortho Express Care, the practice said in the same statement.
What Ortho Express Care Actually Offers
Cleveland Clinic markets Ortho Express Care as a way to avoid the emergency department for people ages 2 and older with a joint, muscle or bone injury, according to the health system's patient information page. The service also covers sports or exercise-related injuries, though not concussions, per the same Cleveland Clinic page. It's worth noting that Cleveland Clinic describes the offering as not a walk-in service, with online self-scheduling available at some locations.
The practice's orthopaedic physicians, physiatrist, podiatrists, advanced practice providers and staff will continue serving patients throughout the Mahoning Valley, the release said. Patient medical records will also transition with the practice to Cleveland Clinic and remain accessible through MyChart, per the same announcement. A Cleveland Clinic job posting for an orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon, reviewed on Cleveland Clinic's careers site, lists a primary practice location at 8591 Crossroads Drive in Youngstown, with additional clinical opportunities at 1499 Cortland Niles Road in Warren, and notes the health system anticipates utilizing these practice locations as part of the integration of Youngstown Orthopaedic Associates into its Orthopaedic Department.
A Longtime Doctor's Retirement
Solmen, described in the announcement as a longtime doctor at the practice, will retire from the practice of medicine effective October 31, 2026, the release said. His departure lands one day before the Cleveland Clinic affiliation formally takes effect, closing one chapter of the practice just as another begins.
Lawsuit Alleges Breach of Contract Over the Sale
Not everyone connected to Youngstown Orthopaedic Associates is on board with how the deal came together. Southwoods has sued two of the practice's physician shareholders, alleging they violated contractual obligations by entering into a letter of intent to sell the practice's assets to Cleveland Clinic, according to Business Journal Daily. The lawsuit names orthopedic surgeons David Weimer, MD, and James Jamison, MD, as defendants, per a report from Becker's ASC Review. The same report states the physicians told Southwoods that the practice had signed a nonbinding letter of intent to sell its assets to Cleveland Clinic in June.
Court records show Southwoods is seeking damages for breach of contract and attorney fees, according to WFMJ, which reported that the lawsuit was filed in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on Thursday. Attorneys for Southwoods also asked the court for a temporary restraining order to prevent the two doctors from participating in any letter of intent between the practice and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, per the Business Journal Daily report.
The dispute arrives amid a broader wave of consolidation among orthopedic physician practices, a trend examined in a 2026 academic commentary indexed on PubMed that looked at data trends and implications for total hip and knee arthroplasty. Similar mergers have reshaped orthopedic care elsewhere in Ohio before; a 2013 report from Crain's Cleveland Business described two of the Columbus area's largest orthopedic surgery practices finalizing their own merger more than a decade ago.
