BEREA–Saint Joseph Berea's new branding reflects the hospital's strong financial position and its commitment to the future of local residents, according to hospital leadership.

In August, the green and yellow branding for CHI, Saint Joe's former parent company, was swapped out for the new purple and pink branding of its current parent company, CommonSpirit, causing some speculation about whether the hospital was closing or being sold. That's according to Saint Joseph President and CEO, John Yanes, who made a presentation to City Council during its first regularly scheduled meeting of the month earlier this week.

The official name of the hospital is now CommonSpirit Saint Joseph Hospital Berea.

CommonSpirit is a healthcare system based in Chicago that owns 158 hospitals nationwide and more than 2,300 care sites in 24 states, according to Yanes. Saint Joseph has been a part of CommonSpirit since 2019, the name given to the health system formed when the San Francisco, Calif.-based Dignity Health system merged with the Chicago, Ill.-based Catholic Health Initiatives system.

“Some hospitals have closed throughout the country, but being part of a system like CommonSpirit really ensures that our hospital can be in a position to continue to be viable and successful going forward,” Yanes said. 

In the last ten years, more than 100 rural hospitals have closed, according to data from the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform. The same data shows that as of July 2026, 19% of rural hospitals in Kentucky are at risk of closing. 

Saint Joseph is also a federally designated Critical Access Hospital, according to Yanes. This designation is only awarded to rural hospitals that meet certain criteria and makes them eligible to receive Medicare funding. Additionally, CommonSpirit gives approximately $1 million to Saint Joseph to pay for individuals who arrive at the emergency department but are unable to pay, Yanes said. 

Councilmember Barry Poynter asked if Saint Joseph would stay committed to serving the community despite federal funding cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. 

Yanes replied that the cuts, if fully implemented, will not take effect until 2028. He assured the Council that even with the federal funding cuts, the hospital will continue to "invest in the community".

Saint Joseph Cardiovascular Services Manager Rhonda McMaster also told Council that 109 people had their blood pressure checked at the Saint Joseph booth at this year's Spoonbread Festival. McMaster said 51% of attendees were found to be hypertensive compared with 58% of those tested at last year's festival. However, she noted that less people were screened this year, likely because the weather was hot and humid.

McMaster said she believes the weather factored in 62% of those tested who had "abnormally positive" oxygen saturation changes. She encouraged the public to visit her at the hospital or go to the American Heart Association website to learn more about heart health. 

Councilmember John Payne asked Yanes if the hospital has a urologist. Yanes said that the position will be filled within the next three to four months as the hospital’s urologist recently retired.

Meanwhile, Councilmember Virgil Burnside encouraged the public to donate to the Saint Joseph Foundation to support their services. 

(Disclaimer: The Edge founder and publisher, Whitney McKnight, is Saint Joseph Berea's patient advocate.)

Public comment 

Although no residents signed up to speak, Councilmember Jerry Little had thoughts about public comment he wanted to share. He was concerned that the three minute time limit for public comment did not give citizens enough time to express their thoughts. A candidate forum held at Churchill’s two weeks ago had caused him to think about it, he said. 

Little proposed having two public comment opportunities, one at the beginning of the agenda to address items on the agenda and one at the end for topics not on the agenda. Little also proposed allowing citizens to yield their speaking time to another public commenter, with a cap of nine minutes. Mayor Bruce Fraley replied that if the Council agrees with Little, this new public comment rule could be implemented. 

Councilmember Katie Startzman said that she was not against the idea, but that Fraley has already been flexible when certain members of the public exceed their three minutes. Most people are able to convey their thoughts within that timeframe, she added. 

Councilmember Steve Caudill also brought up that citizens could make a request to be put on the agenda for longer presentations. Public comments are typically for citizens to address items on the agenda, he said. If a citizen felt strongly about a certain issue, Caudill said that the City should encourage them to request to make a longer presentation that would be placed on the agenda. 

Proclamations 

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Fraley bestowed a proclamation on Belinda’s Legacy, a local movement encouraging women to prioritize breast health. 

The local organization was named in honor of Belinda Fothergill, who passed away from breast cancer earlier this year, according to the proclamation. Fraley spoke on behalf of the founder of the movement, Amanda Pearson, who is also Fothergill’s daughter. Fraley encouraged both men and women to be screened for breast cancer.

Fraley also read a joint proclamation between the Fiscal Court and the cities of Berea and Richmond declaring October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

Kentucky has the second highest rates of domestic violence in the nation, Hope’s Wings Executive Director Jennifer Lainhart told the Council. This year, 50 people in Kentucky lost their lives due to domestic violence, and one of them was from Berea, she said. 

She encouraged the public to support Hope’s Wings, a local non-profit offering free emergency shelter and services to victims of domestic violence. There are opportunities to donate money or supplies, she said. 

Resolution 

Council unanimously passed Resolution 10-2026 in a voice vote, authorizing the City to apply for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant from the Department of Local Government for the Berea Community Park improvement plan. The grant will fund up to 50% of the $1,550,000 total project cost. The renovated park will include a new amphitheater as well as a large pavilion with space for food trucks nearby, as The Edge previously reported. 

Ordinance 

Council heard a first reading of Ordinance 15-2026 which would annex three parcels of land located at 646, 658, and 673 Richmond Road, previously the Helen Smith farm. Once part of the Berea City limits, the property would be zoned collectively as B-2, major business district. This annexation was requested by the property owners who intend to build a shopping center on the land.

The land is just over 21 acres and the Fiscal Court has been notified, according to Codes and Planning Administrator Amanda Haney. Startzman asked how the zoning classification was chosen since the City previously had not zoned the land. Haney said a major business zone designation was at the request of the developers, and that there will be a public hearing for the proposed zoning will be held next Tuesday during the regularly scheduled planning commission meeting, she said.

The proposal will be evaluated based on whether it is in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan, whether the land was previously inappropriately zoned, or if there has been a social or economic change that was not anticipated in the Comprehensive Plan, Haney said. 

Department head reports

During the last fiscal year, the City processed 9,228 invoices, 4,789 paper checks, 10,220 cash receipts business, and 8,879 business tax returns, Finance Director Susan Helton reported.

Helton said her department plans to move toward automating invoices and paying vendors through bank transfers rather than checks. Businesses also will be able to file online tax returns by the end of this month, Helton said. Alcohol taxes will be the first to be payable online. 

Additionally, Berea Utilities processed 94,0101 utility payments, 4,266 service requests, and approximately 14,000 calls during the last fiscal year, Helton said. 

Budget amendments begin next month and will be presented to the Council in February. Auditors will present on the City’s financial statement audit next week. 

Burnside asked if the City plans to use artificial intelligence for automating tasks. Helton said AI is already used to automate phone calls, and is being considered for invoicing.

Parks and Recreation Director Priscilla Bloom asked the Council to approve scheduling for the City’s annual Halloween event on October 31 from 6 pm to 8 pm at the City Park. Approval was passed unanimously in a voice vote.

City Administrator Shawn Sandlin said he had no report.

Mayor’s comments 

Fraley thanked everyone who helped to organize events for the Hokuto Japanese delegation and expressed his appreciation to those who congratulated him for his recent appointment as president of the Kentucky League of Cities. He said the presidency is a non-paid, volunteer position and that the City and its citizens are his first priority.

Councilmembers Mike Barnett, Poynter, Burnside, Startzman, and Payne congratulated Fraley during Council comment. Payne also thanked his fellow Councilmembers for their questions during Council meetings, and said he learns a lot from them.

Councilmembers Little, Caudill, and Teresa Scenters had no comment. 

This story was updated on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, to reflect the correct day for the next regularly scheduled Planning and Zoning meeting. It was misstated in the meeting as Wednesday. The meeting is Tuesday. The record has been corrected.