The MetroHealth Foundation celebrated a $1.5 million investment from the KeyBank Foundation supporting the continued growth and impact of MetroHealth’s Opportunity Centers in Cleveland’s Buckeye and Clark‑Fulton neighborhoods. The announcement was made April 22 during the Pathways to Opportunity Celebration at MetroHealth’s Buckeye Health Center.
The three‑year investment builds on KeyBank Foundation’s initial $1.5 million commitment in 2021 and supports MetroHealth’s next phase of work to expand access, capacity and community‑driven services that address the social drivers of health and promote economic stability. With this recent commitment, KeyBank’s lifetime giving to MetroHealth now totals $3.4 million over 23 years of partnership.
Operated through MetroHealth’s Institute for H.O.P.E.™ (Health, Opportunity, Partnership and Empowerment), the Opportunity Centers serve as neighborhood‑based hubs that connect patients, employees and community residents to financial coaching, workforce training, health navigation and trusted community partners – all in one accessible, welcoming space.
“This investment affirms a shared belief that health is shaped by opportunity, stability and access – not only by care delivered in a clinic,” said Christine Alexander-Rager, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of MetroHealth. “Through this partnership with the KeyBank Foundation, we are expanding the reach and impact of services that help individuals and families build stronger, healthier futures.”
KeyBank Foundation’s investment supports MetroHealth’s ‘Expanding Opportunity’ strategy, focused on strengthening and scaling services already embedded in the Buckeye and Via Sana Opportunity Centers. Over the next three years, the funding will enable MetroHealth to:
- Strengthen staffing capacity, including financial coaches and community health workers, to reach more individuals through one‑on‑one support
- Expand workforce development and credentialing programs, including partnerships with Cuyahoga Community College, aligned with high‑demand career pathways
- Enhance technology and digital access, supporting virtual learning, financial wellness workshops and broader community participation
- Grow community partnerships and programming, increasing the number of educational workshops, cultural events and co‑located services available to residents
Since launching the Opportunity Centers, MetroHealth has screened nearly 160,000 individuals for social needs and connected thousands to essential resources. The centers have hosted more than 130 programs, served over 1,000 residents and supported hundreds of individuals in improving financial stability through debt reduction, savings growth and credit improvement.
“Cleveland’s strength is rooted in the well-being and stability of its neighbors and neighborhoods,” said Eric Fiala, Chief of Corporate Responsibility for KeyBank. “This investment in MetroHealth’s Opportunity Centers reflects our belief that strong communities are built by expanding access to opportunity where people live and work. By supporting services that promote financial stability, workforce growth and better health, we’re helping Cleveland’s neighborhoods thrive today and for years to come.”
MetroHealth operates two Opportunity Centers through the Institute for H.O.P.E.™, each tailored to the surrounding community while advancing a shared mission:
Buckeye Opportunity Center, located within the MetroHealth Buckeye Health Center at 2816 East 116th Street, integrates financial coaching and community health workers within a clinical setting to support patients and neighbors
Via Sana Opportunity Center, located at 3335 West 25th Street within the Via Sana affordable housing development, serves as a community‑based hub for education, health promotion, workforce training and partner‑led programming in the Clark‑Fulton neighborhood
Together, the centers reflect MetroHealth’s commitment to meeting people where they are, reducing barriers and strengthening pathways to opportunity.
For more information about MetroHealth’s Opportunity Centers and the Institute for H.O.P.E.™, visit metrohealth.org/I4HOPE.
About KeyCorp
KeyCorp’s roots trace back more than 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $189 billion at March 31, 2026.
Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 950 branches and approximately 1,100 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.
About The MetroHealth System
Founded in 1837, MetroHealth is leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery, and teamwork. Cuyahoga County’s public, safety-net hospital system, MetroHealth meets people where they are, providing care through five hospitals, four emergency departments and more than a dozen health centers. For more information, visit metrohealth.org.
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