Displaying items by tag: Cleveland Clinic

A little more than two-and-a-half years in the making, the brand new Cleveland Akron General Emergency Department was unveiled to local leaders and the media on Wednesday. During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Akron General President Dr. Brian Harte reinforced the hospital system's commitment to the Akron area. 

 

Read more from the Cleveland Clinic below: 

Cleveland Clinic Akron General’s new $49.3 million emergency department opens to patients at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 31, more than tripling the size of its current emergency department and enhancing patient experience.

“This new emergency department is a very visible example of Cleveland Clinic Akron General’s commitment to meeting the healthcare needs of the residents of Akron and the surrounding communities,” said Brian Harte, M.D., president of Akron General. “As a regional Level I Trauma Center, we serve patients with critical injuries and this investment will help our caregivers provide safe, high-quality care in the most efficient manner possible.”

The new emergency department is designed to expedite the process from admittance through discharge and includes:

• Sixty total treatment rooms, including:
  • Two trauma rooms that double the size of trauma care capacity
  • Two resuscitation rooms
  • Six rooms for minor injuries and illnesses
  • Five behavioral health rooms
• A rooftop helipad
• An imaging department, including a CT scanner and two radiographic rooms
• A designated area for Akron General’s PATH Center (Providing Access to Healing) through which Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners provide quality, trauma-informed, compassionate care to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, elder abuse and neglect
• A designated area for quarantining and treating highly contagious patients

The emergency department is located on the first floor of a new 67,000-square-foot building and a new second-floor bridge connects it to the surgery center at the main hospital in downtown Akron. Administrative offices are located on the second floor along with a 19-bed observation unit that will be used for treatment and evaluation while determining whether a patient needs to be admitted to the hospital.

The building follows environmentally friendly design practices, continuing Cleveland Clinic’s energy conservation and sustainability efforts, including:

•Water efficiency: Low-flow toilets and sinks use about 40 percent less water than a baseline system.

•Energy efficiency: 100 percent LED lighting and building automation system optimizes the usage of conditioned air.

•Energy conservation: Indoor lights utilize daylight when available.

•Landfill diversion: Reduced waste, improved quality and increased safety due to more construction materials being fabricated offsite. 90 percent of construction debris was reclaimed and repurposed for other usable products.

•Indoor air quality: Use of low-VOC paints, adhesives, furnishing and materials to reduce indoor air pollution.

A reception was held for community and health system leaders this morning, and a special open house will be held for caregivers this afternoon. A community open house will be held on Saturday, July 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The building was designed by Hasenstab Architects and constructed by The Ruhlin Company.

A Medina County Jail inmate is back in custody after he jumped from an ambulance and ran off into a wooded area. 

Reports are that Joshua Bragg, who was arrested earlier in July on cocaine charges, was being transported to Cleveland Clinic Akron General from Medina Cleveland Clinic where he was on medical furlough, according to the Medina Gazette. During the ride, reports say, Bragg unstrapped himself from the gurney and walked out of the ambulance, into a wooded area nearby. 

The Gazette is reporting that because Bragg was on medical furlough, there were no other sheriff's offfice officials, nor law enforcement on hand.'

The incident happened around 5:20 Sunday and Bragg was found and taken back into custody Monday morning without further incident. He's now facing felony fleeing charges. 

A major changing of the guard at the Cleveland Clinic, as Dr. Toby Cosgrove announces he will be "transitioning" from the job as CEO after almost 13 years at the top. He'll continue as an advisor when he's out as CEO later this year. The search is on for a replacement.

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(Cleveland Clinic) After nearly 13 years as president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic ­– which has grown into an $8 billion health system with multiple locations in Ohio, Florida, Nevada, Canada, Abu Dhabi, and, in 2020, London – Toby Cosgrove, M.D., announced at a staff meeting today that he has decided to begin a succession process to transition out of the top executive role later this year.  The Governance Committee has asked Dr. Cosgrove to continue on in an advisory role.

Over Dr. Cosgrove’s tenure, Cleveland Clinic’s expansion locally, nationally, and internationally has positioned the institution for a strong future as its revenues have grown from $3.7 billion in 2004 to $8.5 billion in 2016. It has become Ohio’s largest employer with over 50,000 caregivers and a global leader in clinical outcomes, patient experience, innovation and wellness, ranking No. 2 in the nation last year by U.S. News & World Report.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of an extraordinary and forward-thinking organization that puts patients at the center of everything we do,” Dr. Cosgrove said. “Cleveland Clinic’s world-class reputation of clinical excellence, innovation, medical education and research was created and will be maintained by the truly dedicated caregivers who work tirelessly to provide the best care to our patients.” 

By making leadership development a top priority, Cleveland Clinic has developed a deep, talented pool of physician-leaders who are ready to take on executive roles such as hospital presidents, executive administrative roles, leaders of major initiatives across the enterprise, and more. 

“The goal of any leader is to leave an institution better than you found it. Without a doubt, Toby has done that,” said Cleveland Clinic Board of Directors chairman Bob Rich. “Our world-class reputation has only grown over the past 13 years, as he has led Cleveland Clinic through a period of dramatic growth and worldwide expansion.”

His successor will be jointly selected by the Board of Directors and Board of Governors and that process is expected to be concluded in 2017. The Governance Committee has asked Dr. Cosgrove to continue on in an advisory role.

In keeping with its model as a physician-led institution, Cleveland Clinic’s new president and CEO will be a practicing physician.  

Before becoming CEO in 2004, Dr. Cosgrove was a cardiac surgeon for nearly 30 years, performing 22,000 operations and earning an international reputation for expertise in valve repair. As president and CEO, Dr. Cosgrove has driven major initiatives that have gained international recognition, created best practices in healthcare, focused on patient outcomes and promoted patient experience.

Cleveland Clinic has grown steadily between 2004 and 2016: the number of physician-scientists has doubled from 1,800 to 3,400; total visits increased from 2.8 million to 7.1 million; research funding grew from $121 million to $260 million; and construction has changed the face of Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, with the addition of the Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute, the Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, the Tomsich Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Institute and, currently under construction, a health education campus in collaboration with Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Cosgrove’s leadership has emphasized patient care and patient experience, including the re-organization of clinical services into a patient-centered model of care designed around organs and diseases rather than doctors. He coined the phrase “Patients First” to be the guiding principle for all caregivers and hired the first Chief Patient Experience Officer to focus on the experiential, physical and emotional aspects of patient care, now a growing norm in hospitals today. Cleveland Clinic is considered one of the country’s “Best Workplaces in Health Care” in Fortune and a “World’s Most Ethical Company” by the Ethisphere Institute.

Dr. Cosgrove has launched major wellness initiatives for patients, employees and communities, including: banning smoking on all Cleveland Clinic campuses; adopting a policy to not hire smokers; offering employees free memberships to Weight Watchers and gyms; ridding the cafeteria of fried foods; opening weekly farmer’s markets in the summer and fall; and creating an employee health insurance program that offers discounts for physical activity or for enrollment in a disease management program.

Anchored in Cleveland on its 165-acre main campus, Cleveland Clinic’s name is well known around the world for its clinical excellence. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi opened in May 2015; Cleveland Clinic Toronto just celebrated its tenth year; and Cleveland Clinic London is expected to begin seeing patients in 2020. Locally, Cleveland Clinic recently opened a new state-of-the-art hospital in Avon. And in Weston, Fla., Cleveland Clinic Florida is constructing a new five-story tower.

Under Dr. Cosgrove’s innovative leadership, he also envisioned “same-day” medical appointments that opened access to 1.5 million same-day appointments for patients in 2016. He also is committed to new ways to allow patients to access care anytime, anywhere, with walk-in appointments, virtual visits by phone or tablet, and more. 

Dr. Cosgrove received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, completing his clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Brook General Hospital in London. His undergraduate work was at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.

He was a surgeon in the U.S. Air Force and served in Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, as the Chief of U.S. Air Force Casualty Staging Flight. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Republic of Vietnam Commendation Medal.

Joining Cleveland Clinic in 1975, Dr. Cosgrove was named chairman of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery in 1989. Under his leadership, Cleveland Clinic’s heart program was ranked No. 1 in America for 10 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report, a distinction that has remained for 22 successive years. He has published nearly 450 journal articles, book chapters, authored “The Cleveland Clinic Way” and developed 17 training and continuing medical education films. As an innovator, Dr. Cosgrove has 30 patents filed for developing medical and clinical products used in surgical environments.

Dr. Cosgrove is a 2016 Fortune Businessperson of the Year (#14), has topped Inside Business’s “Power 100” listing for Northeast Ohio, is highly ranked among Modern Healthcare’s “100 most powerful people in healthcare” and “most powerful physician executives,” and is an inductee of the Cleveland Medical Hall of Fame.

Dr. Cosgrove has been consulted by successive presidential administrations, serving on the Veterans Administration Commission on Care (2015) and the current White House Strategic and Policy Forum.

Dr. Brian Harte has been with the Cleveland Clinic since 2004, and now he’ll make his way down south to Akron.

Dr. Harte joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to discuss the announcement of him being named president of Akron General, effective September 26th. Dr. Harte says he looks forward to getting to know the residency at the hospital, and plans to dive head-first into the community.

"The partnership with Cleveland Clinic has been fantastic,” says Dr. Harte about Akron General.

As far as the world of medicine goes, Dr. Harte sees the near future will include more attention to wellness and outpatient care for chronic conditions. He believes clinics will have a much different feel to them than the last 5-10 years.

Dr. Tim Stover is out at Cleveland Clinic Akron General -- his "immediate retirement" announced yesterday after a day of group meetings. Stover said in a statement he was grateful for the opportunity. He was expected to remain the CEO through 2017 and was a key figure in steering the deal with Cleveland Clinic. The Clinic's regional chief of operations, Janice Murphy, will serve as acting president.

Stover signed a three-year contract in December 2014 that would have kept him at the helm through 2017. A spokesperson for Akron General told Crain's Cleveland Business via a text message the departure as "not a surprise." In a statement, Stover said "I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to work for such an exceptional organization as Akron General and wish to thank the employees, my leadership team, all Board members and the Akron community for such incredible support over the years to make Akron General what it is today."

It's official - Akron General Health System is now fully owned by Cleveland Clinic.

The deal was announced earlier, but Cleveland Clinic says it now owns the Akron-based system after a review by the Federal Trade Commission and the Ohio Attorney General.

Akron General first became an affiliate of the Cleveland Clinic system. The Cleveland Clinic then exercised an option to fully purchase the Akron General System.

Akron General president/COO Alan Papa says that the Clinic looks forward to being in the Akron community...

"They're looking at Akron as its own market," Papa tells WAKR.net, "We have our own ambulatory programs, and our own physicians, and I think you'll see that they will treat us really like another arm of the Clinic."

Akron General has already pointed to some benefits of the merger, including a new emergency department which will be built in the next couple of years.

Akron General's board of trustees will still have an advisory role, and officials say the merger will allow expansion of services in Summit County.

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(Cleveland Clinic, news release) AKRON GENERAL HEALTH SYSTEM JOINS CLEVELAND CLINIC

Agreement includes Akron General Medical Center, Lodi Community Hospital, Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation Institute, Wellness Centers, the Justin T. Rogers Hospice Care Center, Partners Physician Group and Visiting Nurse Service and Affiliates

Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, Cleveland: Today, Akron General Health System officially became fully part of Cleveland Clinic, following the review of the Ohio Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission.

As part of the agreement, the entire Akron General Health System – including Akron General Medical Center, Lodi Community Hospital, the Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation Institute, three Health & Wellness centers, the Justin T. Rogers Hospice Care Center, Partners Physician Group (PPG), and Visiting Nurse Service and Affiliates – will join Cleveland Clinic.

"This is a momentous day for healthcare in Ohio," said Toby Cosgrove, M.D., President and CEO of Cleveland Clinic. "We are pleased to welcome Akron General into our health system and we look forward to developing and expanding services and enhancing access for patients throughout Northeast Ohio."

Now that Akron General is part of Cleveland Clinic, some of the immediate upcoming initiatives include integration planning, as well as:

Breaking ground for the new emergency department on Nov. 20, 2015. Construction will begin on the facility in the first quarter of 2016;

Opening a new outpatient facility in Portage County in the first quarter of 2016 and another in Lodi in 2016;

Replacement of Akron General's electronic medical record system to Epic, in order to enhance safety, quality, patient experience and reduce the overall cost of care. This will allow providers to have complete information for patients receiving care anywhere throughout the newly expanded system.

"This is an exciting time not only for our two health systems, but for the citizens in Summit and surrounding counties, who will benefit from improved access to high-quality, affordable healthcare services," noted Thomas L. "Tim" Stover, M.D., MBA, President and CEO, Akron General Health System. "Because both share the same goal of providing the absolute best patient experience, the joining of our systems was the next logical progression for Akron General. We are very excited about becoming Cleveland Clinic caregivers and look forward to expanding our services and improving our healthcare model so that we can provide even better care to our patients."

In order to maintain important local input, the Akron General Health System's board of trustees will remain in place as an advisory board going forward.

The affiliate relationship and continuous collaboration between Akron General and Cleveland Clinic has produced 17 work teams that have been collaborating on a number of initiatives resulting in clinical improvements, cost savings, and the sharing of best practices. Several mutually advantageous projects have commenced as well, and include:

The development of a new state-of-the-art emergency department at Akron General, which is expected to open in Fall 2017.

Cleveland Clinic cardiothoracic surgeon Joseph Lahorra, M.D., was the first Cleveland Clinic physician to begin practicing at Akron General as part of the affiliation in 2015. Dr. Lahorra sees patients as part of the comprehensive team at the Akron General Heart & Vascular Center.

Cleveland Clinic now provides ground and air transportation for critical care and trauma services for Akron General.

Patients in need of a kidney – and soon liver – transplantations are now able to see Cleveland Clinic physicians conveniently at Akron General and receive their pre-surgery and follow-up care after surgery in Akron.

Akron General was able to create two new infusion centers, one at the Akron General Health and Wellness Center – West, and the other at the Akron General Health & Wellness Center – North. These new infusion centers offer chemotherapy and other infusion services, such as rheumatology infusions. Another infusion center is set to open at the Akron General Health & Wellness Center – Green, by the end of 2015.

Akron General has seen a significant cost savings when it joined Cleveland Clinic's group purchasing organization, Excelerate. To date, Akron General has achieved an estimated $1.3M in savings with additional millions in savings expected.

Akron General is able to purchase new medical equipment that will link to a patient's electronic medical record, including monitors, ventilators, TV system, nurse call systems, and "smart" IV pumps. In addition, Akron General was able to add new nursery isolettes.

In addition to Cleveland Clinic's main campus, the Cleveland Clinic health system includes eight regional hospitals, more than 90 Northern Ohio outpatient locations – including 16 full-service family health centers – Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.