Why settle for Mercy Hospital when the Cleveland Clinic is in its backyard?
The Cleveland Clinic was several hundred miles away. He was in Cincinnati—which isn’t exactly Podunk.
Having worked for 20+ years at two of Harvard Medical Schools largest teaching hospitals I am of the opinion that anyone who has anything remotely resembling a serious medical problem should get to the biggest hospital in the biggest city that their insurance will cover. Cleveland...Boston...Baltimore...San Francisco...whatever you can do.
For people with Medicare that's easy...99% of the country's doctors and hospitals accept it.