Community prays over DPS, Good Samaritan Hospital closings

Community members gathered Sunday evening for a prayer vigil to bring focus to the proposed Dayton Public Schools closings and the closing of Good Samaritan Hospital.

>>Premier Health to close Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton

Residents gathered at 4 p.m. at the church at 1684 Earlham Drive in Dayton to pray and sing before a planning session on ways to solve what the Rev. Rockney Carter said are serious issues facing the community.

“We are confronted on the west side of Dayton on a number of serious social injustices. One being the closing of schools in a predominately African-American community and Good Samaritan Hospital. If that hospital closes, lives can be lost,” Carter said.

Premier Health announced Jan. 17 that it will close Good Samaritan Hospital because of cost and duplicate services offered at Miami Valley Hospital.

>>Task force meets; Lolli says DPS is not closing 9 schools

Dayton Public Schools acting Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli said the community task force has until April 1 to make recommendations on which DPS buildings should close due to low enrollment.