Sisters of Charity Health System

William A. Young Jr. Named President and CEO of St. John Medical Center

2011-12-07T02:12:49Z

St. John Medical Center (SJMC) is pleased to announce the appointment of William A. Young Jr. as President and CEO of SJMC. The announcement was made by Ronald W. Dees, Chairman of the Board of Directors for SJMC which is co-owned by the Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals (UH). Mr. Young will begin his new role by December 31, 2011.

As President and CEO, Young will oversee the daily operations and lead the medical center’s growth and service expansion plans as it continues to meet the needs of the west side community. Specifically, he will manage the medical center’s five-year, $100-million strategic plan, which includes hospital renovations and adding specialty services and programs. Over the past year, several strategic initiatives were implemented such as opening the University Hospitals Neurological Institute at SJMC; expanding and relocating the Pain Management Center; installing digital mammography as well as adding a state-of-the-art special procedures room. In a few weeks, SJMC will open a Breast Health Center. Early next year, the campus will welcome a satellite location of the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, as well as the completion of a renovated entrance and front lobby.

“Mr. Young brings to St. John Medical Center more than 25 years of experience in the health care industry,” said Thomas F. Zenty III, Chief Executive Officer, UH. “His wealth of leadership ability has demonstrated outstanding strategic planning that has produced exemplary results throughout his career. Young will be a tremendous asset to St. John Medical Center, and will strengthen its position as the health care leader on Cleveland’s west side.”

Prior to his appointment as President and CEO of SJMC, Young spent more than five years as Chief Operating Officer for South Pointe and Marymount hospitals. Before coming to Cleveland, Young worked at Humility of Mary Health Partners where he served four years as President of St. Joseph Health Center in Warren. There, Young had oversight of a $19-million construction project which included replacement and expansion of operating suites, expanded ancillary service areas and increased patient bed capacity. In addition, he implemented plans that increased patient volume in the emergency room, and oversaw the effort to achieve Level III trauma status.

“We are pleased that Mr. Young will serve in this critical leadership role for St. John Medical Center,” said Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA, President and CEO, Sisters of Charity Health System. “With proven leadership and operational skills, Mr. Young will be integral to ensuring the growth and expansion of St. John Medical Center,” Karam said. She added, “With his extensive background and dedication to Catholic health care, I am confident he will continue to fulfill our faith-based mission, support the provision of high quality patient-centered care in service to the community and prepare the medical center for the future of health care.”

Young earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Toledo and a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio Northern University. Young is a graduate of the Catholic Healthcare Partners Leadership Academy. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Healthcare Executives Association of Northeast Ohio. Young currently serves as a board member for Catholic Charities Health and Human Services, American Red Cross Northern Ohio Blood Services Region, Warrensville Heights Area Chamber of Commerce and Harvard Community Services Center.

“I am honored to accept the position as President and CEO of St. John Medical Center,” said Young. “The medical center has an outstanding reputation and a strong future. I look forward to working with its first-rate and dedicated team of physicians, employees and volunteers to further solidify its leadership position on Cleveland’s west side, and provide the surrounding communities with the high-quality, technologically advanced health care it deserves.”

About St. John Medical Center

Co-owned by the Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals, St. John Medical Center is a Catholic health care provider. The medical center is recognized for outstanding centers of excellence such as Emergency Services, Orthopedics, Pain Management, Women’s and Children’s Services and Cardiovascular Services, as well as unique services such as its Kidney Stone Center, Holistic Birthing Center and Balance Center. Recognized by several national organizations as one of the country's best community hospitals, the medical center continues to expand its role as a leading provider of health care in northeastern Ohio. St. John Medical Center is currently in the midst of a five-year, $100 million strategic plan to include hospital-wide modernization and expansion. The plan will also align the medical center more closely with University Hospitals' prestigious centers of excellence and institutes.

About the Sisters of Charity Health System

The Sisters of Charity Health System was established in 1982 as the parent corporation for the sponsored ministries of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine in Ohio and South Carolina. The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, since founding in 1851, continues a faith-based legacy of high-quality, compassionate care in partnership with its co-ministers, who are the heart and hands of the ministry.

The Sisters of Charity Health System solely owns four Catholic hospitals: St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio; Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio; and Providence Hospital and Providence Northeast in Columbia, South Carolina. In a 50/50 joint venture with University Hospitals of Cleveland, the Sisters of Charity Health System also co-owns St. John Medical Center in Westlake, Ohio.

The Sisters of Charity Health System also oversees three grant-making foundations located in Cleveland and Canton, Ohio, and Columbia, South Carolina. Each foundation sponsors significant community initiatives and collaborations that address causes and consequences of poverty.

Other health and human services and education-related organizations within the Sisters of Charity Health System include Joseph’s Home, a unique residential care center for homeless men in Cleveland; Early Childhood Resource Center for people working in childcare in all settings in Canton; Healthy Learners, a health care resource for children from low-income families in South Carolina; and the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families, a state-wide organization supporting initiatives to reengage fathers in the lives of their children.

The Sisters of Charity Health System also provides residential eldercare services at Regina Health Center in Richfield, Ohio, and Light of Hearts Villa in Bedford, Ohio. Light of Hearts Villa is jointly sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.

More information is available at www.sistersofcharityhealth.org.

About University Hospitals

University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of hospitals, outpatient centers and primary care physicians. At the core of our health system is University Hospitals Case Medical Center. The primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research centers of excellence in the nation and the world, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics and spine, radiology and radiation oncology, neurosurgery and neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, organ transplantation and human genetics. Its main campus includes the internationally celebrated UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. For more information, go to www.uhhospitals.org.

Plain Dealer introduces series featuring Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood

2011-12-05T01:12:30Z

A ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is committed to reducing disparities in health and education in the Central Neighborhood near downtown Cleveland. Residents of this community, like so many in our region, experience poor outcomes in education and health, which make it much harder for residents to move out of poverty. The foundation is working on developing a "Promise Neighborhood" in Central that works to improve children's success in school and the community in general.

This work has been supported and noticed by many, including The Plain Dealer, which has published the first story in an occasional series about the ongoing effort to create the Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood.

Central Promise Neighborhood aims to boost student achievement, break cycle of poverty

Published: Sunday, December 4, 2011
By Margaret Bernstein, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer
Editor's note: This is the first story in what will be an occasional series about the ongoing effort to create the Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood.

"How do you feel when you save somebody's life?" a boy is asking Dr. Ben Carson at Stokes Academy in Cleveland's Central neighborhood.

"Wonderful," the famed Johns Hopkins University neurosurgeon responds.

His audience of 125 youths is listening intently; so are the adults in the room. Carson grew up in an inner-city Detroit neighborhood not unlike Central.

"To let our kids see that this is what you can become -- we need more of that in Central," says De'Etta Brown, an appreciative mom in the auditorium.

Ten blocks away, during talent show rehearsals held throughout November at Cleveland Public Library's Marion-Sterling Branch, 17-year-old Jameisha Neal is trying to remember to look straight ahead and smile while dancing a routine choreographed to Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA."

Her background dancers are middle-schoolers, and they look up to her, show organizer Lashunda Lee tells her. "When they come and you're not here, they say, 'Where's 'Meisha?' So you see, you're part of something."

And at nearby East Tech High School, a new program is letting teens design their own events and come up with ways to mentor younger students. "This isn't us telling them what to do. It's encouraging them to become leaders on their own," explains volunteer Jerome Baker.

Dozens of events, big and small, designed to stir youths to see themselves as achievers, are happening with increasing frequency in Cleveland's Central neighborhood.

It's an area nearly buried by poverty and blight, yet there's a quiet drumbeat of change.

"I definitely believe there's a sense of anticipation and hope here," says Jimeka Holloway, a Central resident. "You won't know it unless you're here. There's anticipation for the promise to be realized."

"Promise" is a huge buzzword in Central, where an effort has been under way for more than a year to build a "Promise Neighborhood." It will be a spin-off of the Harlem Children's Zone, a high-profile, multimillion-dollar experiment in New York City that is boosting student achievement while trying to break the cycle of poverty.

Launched locally last year by a band of foundations, schools, nonprofits and government agencies, the fledgling effort aims to guide all of the 4,500 children living in Central on a path from cradle to college.

For this promise to succeed, schools will have to be improved. Government and social-service programs will have to wrap families in a blanket of support.

And deep-rooted patterns will have to change.

Inside the area designated as the Central Promise Neighborhood -- roughly an area from Euclid to Woodland avenues and from East 22nd to East 55th streets -- 80 percent of the children live below the federal poverty level. All three of the Cleveland elementary schools -- Carl and Louis Stokes Central Academy, Marion-Sterling and George Washington Carver -- are ranked in Academic Emergency on state report cards. So is East Tech, just across the Promise boundary on East 55th Street.

There are more people living in public and subsidized housing here than in any other Northeast Ohio neighborhood.

Ninety-one percent of households are female-headed, and 91 percent of residents are black.

Cleveland's black community has a rich history here. African-Americans poured into Central as they migrated from the South in the 1900s, establishing institutions like St. John AME Church, the city's oldest black church, and the Phillis Wheatley Association, a high-rise built in 1927 to house single black women arriving in search of work.

The neighborhood has produced politicians Carl and Louis Stokes, Tuskegee Airmen leader Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, actress Dorothy Dandridge, writer Langston Hughes and Olympian Jesse Owens.

"This was Cleveland's black Wall Street. You had all of your black entrepreneurs and businesses, as well as your churches, your social clubs, your social-service organizations," says Carol Malone, one of 20 "Promise Ambassadors" charged with spreading the word about the effort to revive Central.

Cleveland's Central effort showed promise from start

The Promise Neighborhood movement is nothing flashy -- just a slow-rolling train that picks up new supporters constantly and keeps chugging forward.

It began in 2010, when the Obama administration fulfilled a campaign promise by offering $500,000 planning grants to 20 cities willing to try a Harlem Children's Zone approach. A coalition of Cleveland organizations and agencies settled on Central after evaluating several neighborhoods, and raised more than $330,000 in matching dollars.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation, already a major financial supporter of Central programs, was asked to take the lead.

Cleveland's proposal didn't make the cut during that first round of grants, yet the foundation's highly collaborative application got high marks from the U.S. Department of Education. Cleveland was invited to join the grant winners in receiving technical support and advice from the national Promise Institute.

It seemed like a bad time to quit. So, tripling its own investment to $195,000 to keep the project moving, the Sisters of Charity Foundation continued to hold community meetings that pulled in ever-increasing crowds of elected officials, educators, law enforcement and residents.

"I'm very excited," says Cleveland Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland, who grew up in Central and now represents the ward. She said that if the Promise effort is able to replicate what's happening in the Harlem Children's Zone, "that would have a catalytic impact on our community."

Susanna Krey, the foundation's president, explains that once enthusiasm began sprouting, she hated to disappoint people by giving up.

"One of the things we knew only too well in the Central neighborhood is there have been many fits and starts -- people who started something and then moved out and just didn't keep it going," Krey says. "So when we didn't get funding, our board was gracious enough to say, 'You know what? Let's keep it going.' "

In September, the Sisters of Charity Foundation reapplied for Promise dollars, this time seeking an implementation grant of up to $6 million.

Cleveland, which is competing against 35 other applicants for six grants, will find out this month if it is a winner this time. But Promise efforts will keep moving forward, even if the city loses out again, says foundation spokeswoman Joan Mazzolini.

To construct a "cradle to college" pipeline in Central, some invisible barriers will need to be demolished.

Although two college campuses fall within the Promise Neighborhood's borders -- Cleveland State University and Cuyahoga Community College -- only 6 percent of adults in the target zone have degrees, according to the grant application.

Collaborative push begins to change the culture

A seismic cultural shift will be needed to boost those numbers. For inspiration, the Sisters of Charity Foundation in 2009 sent a delegation to visit the Harlem Children's Zone, and came away convinced that the first priority is to identify the challenges facing families and help overcome them.

To do that, local schools, social-service groups and government agencies will have to stitch their services together in a more seamless way.

Early next year, months of planning will finally yield some tangible changes. Through collaboration between Cleveland public schools and the foundation, two of Central's three elementary schools will stay open late on weekdays for student and community programs. The foundation will hire two nighttime principals to organize and oversee mentoring, tutoring and other activities.

In addition, the foundation, which funded Dr. Ben Carson's November visit as part of its 15th anniversary celebration, has invested $20,000 to create a Ben Carson Reading Room at Stokes Academy. Set to be unveiled next year, the room will be an attractive environment where kids can read for pleasure.

Then there are the Promise Ambassadors, the on-the-ground soldiers who are already reaching out to residents. They must use their credibility to motivate parents in the Promise zone -- most of whom have never attended college -- to support their children's school programs, emphasize academics at home, and see teachers as partners, not adversaries.

Currently the job is unpaid, but finding people willing to do it hasn't been hard.

"Talk about brand loyalty," says a laughing Robbin Hudson of Neighborhood Leadership Institute, the agency charged with training Promise Ambassadors. "I don't know what it is about Central," she says, but people raised in the area are diehard loyalists, even if they've moved away. "People are calling me, saying, 'I want to be a Promise Ambassador.' I'm like, slow down -- do you even live there?"

The ambassadors chosen are already involved in the community.

Jerome Baker, who six years ago started a mentoring group, Men of Central, says he can do more with the backing of the Promise Neighborhood than he could do on his own. He and his wife used to dip into their own pocket to fund their community activities, but now he knows about new funding options, including Promise-targeted grants from Cleveland Foundation's Neighborhood Connections.

He likes how he's gotten to interact with the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority police chief and school administrators through the frequent Promise meetings. "Having that connectedness, it really supports my effort."

"I couldn't do this by myself. Impossible," Baker says.

Yet, youth program leader Lashunda Lee, 33, has misgivings about how much the effort can really accomplish. She paced the room for much of her first Ambassador training session, declaring herself "meetinged to death."

She's impatient, she explains, because despite all the talking, Central's kids have urgent needs that aren't being met. She recently got word that the Marion-Sterling school drill team she has directed for four years can no longer take part in competitions, due to budget cuts.

"I'm going to continue on, even though we won't have a competition," Lee says. After-school activities "kept me out of trouble, and I want to pass them on."

Lee adds: "I see our children falling through the cracks."

Still, there's no way she's letting the Promise train leave without her. She's one of the Promise Ambassadors coordinating the upcoming talent show, and every week she can be found at the library, helping kids polish performances, vetoing songs that are too profane or sexual, and doling out praise to those who try not to miss a practice.

At Promise meetings now held frequently in Central, committees are starting to identify the many gaps that trip up youths on their journey to college.

Hudson, of Neighborhood Leadership Institute, recalls one meeting last year where an East Tech junior said, "I'm taking AP chemistry, but our chemistry lab doesn't have running water."

In celebration of 15 years in philanthropy, Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina President Tom Keith was recently interviewed for The Sector Connector, a podcast that features conversations with leaders committed to bridging societal gaps and bringing organizations and industry together for the greater good.

Throughout the interview, Tom shared information about the foundation's service to the community, highlighting the 15 years of success and how the foundation works daily to address the needs of the poor and underserved in South Carolina. Tom addressed specific foundation initiatives including the Carolina Academy for Nonprofits and the newly created Leadership in Diversity award. He also spoke about the faith sector and the need for the faith community. He discussed how there are higher expectations being placed on faith-based organizations now than ever before. In many communities the churches are the focal point and are being called upon to do things outside of the sanctuary. Faith-based communities are one of the greatest, untapped resources in moving forward.

When asked how he has kept the fire going over the past 15 years, Tom stated, "Every day brings a new challenge and a new opportunity. In the past fifteen years, I have been a great student of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, willing to learn and change to improve what the foundation does if it will ultimately have a greater outcome in our community."

To hear the podcast, please visit BlogTalkRadio.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.

Plain Dealer highlights St. Vincent Charity Medical Center’s prescription assistance program

2011-11-30T03:11:36Z

As a complement to a recent story about all area health systems’ community benefit contributions, which noted the Sisters of Charity Health System's collective annual community benefit of $54.6 million, The Plain Dealer has highlighted St. Vincent Charity Medical Center’s prescription assistance program.

St. Vincent's pharmacy program helps needy
Published: Friday, November 25, 2011
By Sarah Jane Tribble, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland State University student Bronson Peshlakai realized he had a problem when he ate a piece of chocolate cake and felt lethargic.

"My arms felt so heavy," he said holding them up like dead weights.

Peshlakai, 35, struggles daily to keep his Type 2 diabetes under control. Out of work and living with a friend, Peshlakai tried to manage his diabetes with portion control and a good diet.

That failed. He began to lose weight, felt a constant urge to pee and would frequently have trouble catching his breath. Eventually, he found himself at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center.

"My first visit here, I felt like a king," Peshlakai said. "There were so many people in the room."

Peshlakai became part of St. Vincent's prescription assistance program, which helps patients find the right discount offers by submitting applications to multiple drug companies. Since August 2011, the program has submitted 124 applications for 55 patients and saved a total of $49,418.89.

Jodie Turosky, the director of pharmaceutical care at St. Vincent's, said with a wink during a recent meeting with Peshlakai that enrollees do get the free prescriptions but "they don't get to escape that easily."

Along with the medications -- which include insulin that normally costs at least $400 a month -- Peshlakai receives free care from the doctors and medical workers at the health system as well as free diabetic education. In all, he benefits from at least three programs that are part of the total $54.6 million Sisters of Charity Health System spent on community benefit last year.

Peshlakai, who is now a full-time student, said he has been treated by other health care providers in the past but the care has never been this holistic.

"The staff has been so supportive here, I feel the need to really tackle this issue with myself," Peshlakai said.

Cleveland’s Sisters of Charity Health System to Join CliniSync Health Information Exchange

2011-11-30T02:11:16Z

The Sisters of Charity Health System is taking a significant step into the future of patient care in Ohio by committing three of its medical centers to join the statewide health information exchange.

Plans now will begin for St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, St. John Medical Center and Mercy Medical Center to connect electronically to other Ohio physicians, hospitals, labs and health care entities. The projected timeline for implementation for St. Vincent Charity and St. John is the summer of 2012, and for Mercy Medical Center, the fall of 2012.

“The Sisters of Charity Health System’s medical centers are advancing our high quality of care by adopting health information technology that helps caregivers focus on prevention, care coordination and quality outcomes for patients,” said Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA, president and CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System.

“At our Ohio hospitals, this includes securely sharing data through the Ohio Health Information Partnership’s statewide electronic health information exchange, CliniSync, to better manage care, facilitate continuity and allow information access for patients,” she said.

Dan Paoletti, the chief executive officer of the Ohio Health Information Partnership, said this national movement in all states to create statewide exchanges will transform health care in Ohio and beyond. The electronic exchange of a patient’s lab results or tests reduces faxing, phone calls and other lags in care that occur because it takes so much time to communicate that information. In addition, patients will not have to go through duplicate tests and procedures already conducted by another physician, saving time and money.

“While we know that exchanging patient information can improve health care delivery, streamline workflow and cut costs, this really comes down to the patient,” Paoletti said. “Every hospital, physician and health care provider who joins the CliniSync network will be able to share critical information about a patient so they can work as a team to coordinate that individual’s care. We are thrilled that the Sisters of Charity Health System’s Cleveland and Canton hospitals will be part of that exchange.”

The Community Health Collaborative, LLC (CHC) in Northeast Ohio has also just signed contracts to join the CliniSync exchange. This includes Southwest General Hospital, Parma Community General Hospital and EMH Elyria Medical Center. The actual implementation of CliniSync is now occurring in a consortium of hospitals in the Lima area.

The CliniSync health information exchange ultimately will connect hospitals, health systems, physicians and other health care professionals involved in patient care. With patients’ permission, the exchange will allow participating organizations to access records through a secure network in real time. Ohio received $14.8 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology to create the infrastructure for a statewide exchange.

The Ohio Health Information Partnership also has signed up more than 5,800 Ohio physicians and health care professionals for the switch from paper records to electronic health records or to upgrade their existing systems.

About the Sisters of Charity Health System

The Sisters of Charity Health System also oversees three grantmaking foundations located in Cleveland and Canton, Ohio, and Columbia, South Carolina. Each foundation sponsors significant community initiatives and collaborations that address causes and consequences of poverty. Other health and human services and education-related organizations within the Sisters of Charity Health System include Joseph’s Home, a unique residential care center for homeless men in Cleveland; Early Childhood Resource Center for people working in childcare in all settings in Canton; Healthy Learners, a health care resource for children from low-income families in South Carolina; and the South Carolina Center for Father and Families, a state-wide organization supporting initiatives to reengage fathers in the lives of their children.

About St. Vincent Charity Medical Center

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is Cleveland’s Catholic, high-quality health care provider. Our distinguished doctors and caregivers are devoted to treating every patient with clinical excellence and compassionate care. St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is home to the renowned Spine and Orthopedic Institute and the Center for Bariatric Surgery. Owned by the Sisters of Charity Health System, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center delivers care for the heart of Cleveland. For more information, visit www.stvincentcharity.com.

About Mercy Medical Center

Mercy Medical Center, a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, operates a 476-bed hospital serving Stark, Carroll, Wayne, Holmes and Tuscarawas Counties and parts of Southeastern Ohio. It has 620 members on its Medical Staff and employs 2,500 people. Mercy operates outpatient health centers in Carroll County, Jackson Township, Lake Township, Louisville, North Canton, Plain Township and Tuscarawas County. A Catholic hospital, Mercy Medical Center upholds the mission and philosophy of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and continues to be responsive to the needs of the community. For more information, visit www.cantonmercy.org.

About St. John Medical Center

Co-owned by University Hospitals and the Sisters of Charity of Health System, St. John Medical Center is a Catholic health care provider. The medical center is recognized for outstanding centers of excellence such as Emergency Services, Orthopedics, Pain Management, Women’s and Children’s Services and Cardiovascular Services, as well as unique services such as its Kidney Stone Center, Holistic Birthing Center and Balance Center. Recognized by several national organizations as one of the country's best community hospitals, the medical center continues to expand its role as a leading provider of health care in northeastern Ohio. St. John Medical Center is currently in the midst of a five-year, $100 million strategic plan to include hospital-wide modernization and expansion. The plan will also align the medical center more closely with University Hospitals' centers of excellence and institutes, such as its nationally ranked UH Case Medical Center, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, MacDonald Women’s Hospital and UH Seidman Cancer Center. The medical center was founded in 1981, and, this year, is celebrating 30 years of service to the community.

About the Ohio Health Information Partnership

The Ohio Health Information Partnership is a nonprofit, state-designated entity responsible for establishing regional extension centers to assist physicians and hospitals with information technology and for creating the infrastructure for a health information exchange in the state. Ohio has received $44,146,199 in federal funding including $14, 872,199 for the health information exchange (CliniSync), $28.5 for regional extension centers and $774,000 for critical access hospitals. The State of Ohio contributed $8 million when The Partnership first formed. The Partnership includes the Ohio State Medical Association, Ohio Osteopathic Association, Ohio Hospital Association, BioOhio and the State of Ohio. The partnership is funded through the Office of the National Coordinator, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, grant numbers 90RC0012 and 90HT0024. Visit the Ohio Health Information Partnership at www.clinisync.org.

Sisters of Charity Health System provides $54.6 million in annual community benefit

2011-11-28T08:11:00Z

The Plain Dealer recently reviewed the community benefit local health systems provide throughout northeast Ohio. In 2010, the Sisters of Charity Health System and its subsidiaries, which include five acute care Catholic hospitals, three grantmaking foundations, several outreach organizations and two elder care facilities, collectively provided $54.6 million in community benefit. This includes $21.8 million in charity care at cost; $23.1 million in unpaid costs of Medicaid; and $9.7 million community health services, health professional education, community building activities and outreach to the medically disadvantaged.

Read more about community benefit in the area in the full text of the story below.

Cleveland Clinic, UH, others say patients need more financial help
Published: Friday, November 25, 2011
By Sarah Jane Tribble, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The need for free and discounted medical care is escalating across Northeast Ohio, according to the latest tax filings.

Hospitals from the giant Cleveland Clinic to smaller players like Parma Community General Hospital have seen drastic jumps in the amounts they spend to provide free care to those who have no insurance. They also have seen jumps in the unpaid portions of bills of those who do have health coverage – portions that the patients are supposed to pay but can't.

"It's really scary," said Bill Ryan, executive director for the Northeast Ohio's hospital advocacy group Center for Health Affairs.

Each year, the area's nonprofit health systems are required to file federal tax documents that outline how much money they are earning as well as what they give back to the community. No standard exists for the amount of charity care nonprofit hospitals should provide. But for more than a decade, politicians and community activists have questioned how much free care nonprofit health systems should provide in a trade off for their tax-exempt nonprofit status.

The question has been particularly controversial in Greater Cleveland, where the county's taxpayer subsidized public hospital, MetroHealth System, blames an increase in the amount of charity care it provides for much of its financial problems.

In response to an announcement that MetroHealth would cut 450 jobs earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich publicly announced in September that the Cleveland Clinic isn't providing its "fair share" of health care for the region's poor.

According to its federal filings, the amount the Cleveland Clinic spent providing charity care to the poor jumped 25 percent, to $149.8 million last year. The Clinics spending on bad debt -- mostly from the insured who couldn't afford their co-pays or high deductibles -- rose 49 percent to $86.2 million. Bad debt at cost is not part of the community benefits number but is also reported on the tax filing.

The Cleveland Clinic is the region's largest health system and reported $6.2 billion in total revenue last year, up from $5.7 billion in 2009. The Clinic's overall spending on community benefits topped $537.4 million in 2010.

Northeast Ohio's second-largest health system University Hospitals also saw increases in need. The system reported $1.9 billion in total revenue last year, up from $1.8 billion in 2009. It's community benefits spending totaled $258 million. It's spending on bad debt, or writing off of bills that won't be paid, rose 13 percent to $16.8 million.

The amount University Hospitals spent providing charity care, which is part of the community benefits filing, fell 12 percent to $35 million. But Heidi Gartland, the system's government relations leader, says the community benefits did not actually drop. She said the number appears to have fallen because the implementation of new computer systems has delayed record-keeping that would accurately reflect the numbers.

During 2011, Gartland said, the health system's charity care has risen at least 20 percent.

The combined increase in charity care and bad debt are "going to be our realties until the economy turns around," Gartland said.

Northeast Ohio's unemployment rate is 8.5 percent, below the statewide rate of 8.8 percent and national rate of 9.1 percent. But even when workers have jobs, their insurance isn't what it once was.

More employers are offering coverage that demands high co-pays to visit the doctor as well as high deductibles, often starting at $500 or more, that have to be paid out of pocket before insurance kicks in. In many cases, workers can't afford to pay the deductibles, area hospital leaders said.

"Health care is not the first thing they pay for," Gartland said. "They're going to make sure their mortgage is paid or their renters insurance or food is on the table. We do work out payment plans with folks."

At Southwest General Health Center, where many patients come from the auto manufacturing industry, some who have jobs and insurance still qualify for financial aid because the amount they owe after insurance is high, said Mary Ann Freas, chief financial officer of Southwest.

Parma General Community General Hospital reports that its charity care increased 52 percent to $5.4 million. Bad debt rose 77 percent to $3.6 million.

A few health system leaders said federal health reform, which takes effect in 2014, might help, as it mandates that more people have health coverage. In addition, many people who fall into the charity care could qualify for Medicaid under the new rules.

Melissa Rogers, chief financial officer for the Sisters of Charity Health System, echoed the concerns of those at the Clinic and University Hospitals regarding high unemployment rates and the impact that will have on their bottom line.

Sisters of Charity Health System, which includes St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and St. John Medical Center as well as elder care and other facilities, reported $887 million in total operating revenue for 2010. At the same time, it provided $54.6 million in community benefits -- which include $21.8 million of medical care for the needy.

Rogers said that it appears that bad debt and charity care will continue to increase across the market for all the health systems.

"I don't think we're going to see a decrease," she said.

Mercy Medical Center named a “Top U.S. Hospital for Heart Care” by Thompson Reuters

2011-11-14T11:11:40Z

Thomson Reuters recently released its annual study identifying the top U.S. hospitals for inpatient cardiovascular services. The study, in its thirteenth year, singled out 50 hospitals that achieved superior clinical outcomes, including Mercy Medical Center, which is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.

Read more in the announcement from Thomson Reuters, as well as a localized story by Modern Healthcare.

Thomson Reuters Announces Top U.S. Hospitals for Heart Care
Top Hospitals Show Across-the-Board Improvement

Ann Arbor, MI November 14, 2011 - Thomson Reuters today released its annual study identifying the top U.S. hospitals for inpatient cardiovascular services.

The study, in its thirteenth year, singled out 50 hospitals that achieved superior clinical outcomes.

"This year's 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals have continued to deliver excellent care and have been able to improve their performance in a tough economic climate," said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals® program at Thomson Reuters. "The hospitals in this study have provided measurably better care and are more efficient than their peers, demonstrating incredibly strong focus by hospital leadership at a time when the healthcare system is steeped in volatility."

The study shows that 97 percent of cardiovascular inpatients in U.S. hospitals survive and approximately 96 percent remain complication-free, reflecting improved cardiovascular care across-the-board over the past year. The 50 top hospitals' performance surpasses these high-water marks as indicated by:

- Better risk-adjusted survival rates (23 percent fewer deaths than non-winning hospitals for bypass surgery patients).
- Lower complications indices (40 percent lower rate of heart failure complications).
- Fewer patients readmitted to the hospital after 30 days.
- Shorter hospital visits and lower costs. Top hospitals discharge bypass patients nearly a full day sooner and spend $4,200 less per bypass case than non-winners.
- Increased use of internal mammary artery (IMA) for coronary artery bypass surgeries. Top hospitals have increased their use of this recommended procedure from 88 to 96 percent

The study evaluated general and applicable specialty, short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals treating a broad spectrum of cardiology patients.

Thomson Reuters researchers analyzed 2009 and 2010 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, Medicare cost reports, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare data. They scored hospitals in key performance areas: risk-adjusted mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures (a group of measures that assess process of care), percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, 30-day mortality rates, 30-day readmission rates, severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity-adjusted average cost.

The Thomson Reuters 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals were classified into three comparison groups. (The order of hospitals in the list does not reflect performance ranking.)

Teaching Hospitals With Cardiovascular Residency Programs

- Mayo Clinic Hospital - Phoenix, AZ
- The University of Kansas Hospital - Kansas City, KS
- Lahey Clinic - Burlington, MA
- Saint Vincent Hospital - Worcester, MA
- Park Nicolett Methodist Hospital - St. Louis Park, MN
- Hackensack University Medical Center - Hackensack, NJ
- Deborah Heart and Lung Center - Browns Mills, NJ
- NYU Langone Medical Center - New York, NY
- Kettering Medical Center - Kettering, OH
- Doctors Hospital - Columbus, OH
- The Washington Hospital - Washington, PA
- Allegheny General Hospital - Pittsburgh, PA
- Robert Packer Hospital - Sayre, PA
- Bryn Mawr Hospital - Bryn Mawr, PA
- Lankenau Hospital - Wynnewood, PA

Teaching Hospitals Without Cardiovascular Residency Programs

- Morton Plant Hospital - Clearwater, FL
- St. Luke's Boise Medical Center - Boise, ID
- St. John's Hospital - Springfield, IL
- Decatur Memorial Hospital - Decatur, IL
- Marquette General Hospital - Marquette, MI
- St. Joseph Mercy Hospital - Ann Arbor, MI
- Mercy Medical Center - Canton, OH
- Aultman Hospital - Canton, OH
- Bethesda North Hospital - Cincinnati, OH
- St. Luke's Hospital - Bethlehem, PA
- UPMC Hamot - Erie, PA
- St. Joseph Medical Center - Reading, PA
- Memorial Hermann Hospital System - Houston, TX
- Baptist St. Anthony's Health System - Amarillo, TX
- Corpus Christi Medical Center - Corpus Christi, TX
- St. Mark's Hospital - Salt Lake City, UT
- St. Mary's Hospital - Richmond, VA
- Aspirus Wausau Hospital - Wausau, WI
- Gundersen Lutheran - La Crosse, WI
- Meriter Hospital - Madison, WI

Community Hospitals

- St. Francis Medical Center - Lynwood, CA
- French Hospital Medical Center - San Luis Obispo, CA
- Martin Memorial Medical Center - Stuart, FL
- Provena Covenant Medical Center - Urbana, IL
- St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana - Indianapolis, IN
- Heart Hospital of Lafayette - Lafayette, LA
- Nebraska Heart Institute & Heart Hospital - Lincoln, NE
- Gaston Memorial Hospital - Gastonia, NC
- The Chester County Hospital and Health System - West Chester, PA
- Doylestown Hospital - Doylestown, PA
- Maury Regional Medical Center - Columbia, TN
- Heart Hospital of Austin - Austin, TX
- Dixie Regional Medical Center - St. George, UT
- Memorial Regional Medical Center - Mechanicsville, VA
- Bellin Hospital - Green Bay, WI

About Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 55,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

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MODERN HEALTHCARE

Heartening Trends
Thomson Reuters' annual roster of the 50 top cardiovascular hospitals details how some facilities are outpacing their peers

By Elizabeth Gardner
Posted: November 14, 2011 - 12:01 am ET

If you must have heart trouble, have it in Canton, Ohio. The two major hospitals serving this city of 70,000—337-bed Mercy Medical Center and 547-bed Aultman Hospital—offer cardiovascular services that rival any in the nation. Both appear on the Thomson Reuters 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals for 2012.

Both are teaching hospitals, though neither has a cardiovascular residency program. Aultman has its own health plan, AultCare, which covers more than 500,000 lives in Canton's five-county area. That factor, plus competition from top-level medical centers in Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, and Pittsburgh—each a 90-minute drive, keeps the hospital motivated to excel, says Chris Schoelles, vice president for the Aultman Heart Center.

“I don't want any patient saying, ‘I had to go to Cleveland because Aultman doesn't have this service,” he says. Aultman shoots for 100% of patients to receive optimal care, breaking down each process into pieces to locate areas for possible improvement, he adds. Aultman has been on the list twice before.Top of Form

Being an insurer as well as a provider gives the organization a strong incentive to keep its patients as healthy as possible, and Schoelles believes Aultman is well positioned to benefit from the trend toward value-based purchasing.

Mercy Medical, on the list for the fifth time, has something that Dr. Ahmed Sabe, an interventional cardiologist who is the hospital's medical director, believes is unique: a cardiac catheterization lab within the emergency room. Patients with suspected heart troubles can be evaluated and treated in one place, rather than going to the cath lab after the ER has confirmed a heart attack. Sabe says he's been able to re-establish blood flow to a patient's heart in as little as six minutes after arrival at the ER.

Sabe concedes that having a cath lab in a location where it's not in steady use is a hard sell, and he gives credit to Mercy's owners, the Sisters of Charity Health System, for putting patient welfare before strict return on investment.

“This few minutes extra has been worth it for hundreds of patients,” he says.

Such stellar performance on one important metric has inspired Mercy's cardiovascular team to excel on others as well, Sabe says. For example, the hospital has cross-trained all of its cardiovascular nurses to handle both critical patients and stable ones; as a result, the patient can have the same team of nurses throughout the stay and get more consistent care.

Steady improvement

Cardiovascular care nationwide has gotten steadily better over the 13 years that Thomson Reuters has been analyzing Medicare data to come up with its annual rosters of the nation's top cardiovascular hospitals. Read more about the methodology used (PDF). Nonetheless, there's still room for improvement. If all hospitals achieved the same performance as the 50 top cardiovascular hospitals, Thomson Reuters projects that almost 7,700 lives and $1 billion could be saved, and 6,500 additional patients could avoid complications.

For example, for coronary artery bypass grafts, the top hospitals' median mortality rate was almost 22.8% lower than the median for all the hospitals in the study, and the complication rate was 10.1% lower. Their length of stay was 9.7% lower, and their cost per case was 12% lower.

Since Medicare will penalize hospitals for high readmission rates for heart attacks and congestive heart failure starting next year, providers are preoccupied with making sure their efforts to shorten length of stay don't backfire and result in patients having to come back within 30 days. Fortunately for hospitals, patients and the nation's healthcare tab, the Thomson Reuters study shows that the best practices are better all around.

“There were some concerns early on that shorter length of stay might lead to higher readmissions, and our research has shown that's not true,” says Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president at Thomson Reuters. The top performing hospitals had both shorter length of stay and lower readmission rates.

New York University's Langone Medical Center appears on the list for the first time. The 786-bed teaching hospital, which has a cardiovascular residency program, committed several years ago to having the best performance possible on a variety of cardiovascular care metrics, says Dr. Aubrey Galloway, chairman of cardiothoracic surgery.

The hospital's Cardiac and Vascular Institute redesigned its systems so that all its patients get optimal treatment in line with benchmarks from the University HealthSystem Consortium and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, among others. The systems also encompass all patients with congestive heart failure, even when they are in the hospital for some other reason. Galloway estimates that 97% to 98% of Langone's patients receive inpatient heart treatment that adheres to state-of-the-art guidelines.

Now the team is working on improving follow-up care. Each discharged patient is called within 24 hours. “If anything sounds funny, we get them back to see their doctor more quickly so they don't bounce back into the hospital,” Galloway says. Patients at particular risk get home nurse visits as needed.

French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif., has been on the list three years out of the last four. Alan Iftiniuk, the hospital's president, says that's because cardiac care has been the core of the hospital's mission since Catholic Healthcare West took over the almost bankrupt 112-bed community hospital in 2004.

Surveys of the community showed high demand for a first-class cardiac program, which the county lacked at the time. Local donors ca

St. Vincent Charity Opens Diagnostic Imaging Center at Rockside

2011-11-09T01:11:08Z

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is opening a new Diagnostic Imaging Center at 4400 Rockside Road in the same facility at Independence Urgent Care. This $2.6 million, 6,700-square-foot facility located on the first floor will be easily accessible via I-77 and Rockside Road and bring state-of-the-art imaging to the Independence area.

When it officially opens November 28, 2011, the new center will include MRI, CT Scan, X-ray and Nuclear Medicine and EchoCardiology.

Equipped with state-of-the-art technology from Seimens, the center will feature an open bore MRI, which is open at the head and foot, creating a more comfortable experience for patients. It is also designed to accommodate larger patients.

Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call the Diagnostic Imaging Center at 216-357-4400.

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is Cleveland’s faith-based, high-quality healthcare provider. Our distinguished doctors and caregivers are devoted to treating every patient with clinical excellence and compassionate care. St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is home to the renowned Spine and Orthopedic Institute and the Center for Bariatric Surgery. Owned by the Sisters of Charity Health System, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center delivers care for the heart of Cleveland. For more information, visit www.stvincentcharity.com.

Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland Announces $20,000 Grant for Reading Room, Scholarships for Promise Neighborhood

2011-11-09T09:11:43Z

In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is providing $20,000 to fund a reading room and scholarship opportunities for students in the Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood. The foundation is establishing both initiatives through the Carson Scholars Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1994 by world renowned pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin S. Carson and his wife to encourage academic excellence.

“The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland shares my passion to discover promise and encourage excellence in young students,” said Dr. Carson, who serves as keynote speaker November 3rd at an event for Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood students and later at the foundation’s anniversary celebration in downtown Cleveland. “By investing in children’s minds, we reward today’s role models and prepare tomorrow’s leaders.”

Through a $15,000 grant from the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, the Carson Scholars Fund will install Ohio’s first Ben Carson Reading Room at Carl and Louis Stokes Central Academy. When completed, the reading room will be a nurturing and attractive environment for children to discover the joy of reading and develop reading skills. Annually, 60 existing Ben Carson Reading Rooms across eight states generate 15 million minutes of reading and place more than 30,000 books in students’ hands. The new reading room at Stokes Central Academy will be filled with hundreds of books for students to explore from a variety of authors, topics and genres, and will open for use by students and their families in 2012.

Additionally, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland has granted $5,000 to the Carson Scholars Fund to create the opportunity for Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood students to vie for a 2012 Carson Scholarship. The program awards students who strive for academic excellence and demonstrate a strong commitment to their communities with $1,000 college scholarships. Funding from the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland creates the opportunity for educators to nominate three 4th through 8th grade students each from Marion-Sterling, George Washington Carver, and Carl and Louis Stokes Central Academy.

“Scholarships like those we are funding through the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland remove a barrier and provide an incentive for young students to strive for the lifetime of rewards gained through reading and higher learning,” said Geoffrey Mearns, chair of the board of directors for the foundation, and provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Cleveland State University.

Carson Scholarships are invested in a trust until recipients attend a four-year college or university. To date, the Carson Scholarship Fund has awarded more than 4,800 scholarships in 42 states.

“The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland’s funding of the reading room and scholarships opens another door to show Central’s children how to dream and connect those dreams to a love of learning,” said Susanna Krey, president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland. “Increasing the quality of education is fundamental to the foundation’s mission to improve the lives of those most in need. This mission is as relevant today as 15 years ago when the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine established grantmaking foundations. We continue to have a singular focus on systemically addressing the root causes of poverty.”

Among other initiatives, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is the lead applicant on behalf of many partners for a federal Department of Education (DOE) grant to implement in the Central Neighborhood a Promise Neighborhood—a transformative program that wraps children in high-quality, coordinated health, social, community and educational support from the cradle to college and career. An announcement from the DOE regarding grant awards is expected in December.

Additionally, since 2008 the foundation has awarded more than $800,000 in grants to improve access to exposure and enrichment opportunities to support academic achievement for 6th through 8th grade students at George Washington Carver, Marion Sterling, and Carl and Louis Stokes Central Academy. These important efforts continue in concert with numerous community partners.

“The resources provided by the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland significantly support our efforts to foster a love of learning among our students at these schools,” said Eric Gordon, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. “We appreciate our partnership with the foundation and look forward to continued collaboration.”

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland improves the lives of those most in need with special attention to families, women and children living in poverty. The foundation works to end homelessness in Cuyahoga County and to reduce health and education disparities in Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood. As a faith-based organization, the foundation extends the values of Jesus Christ through the mission of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and also works to sustain the ministries of women religious. The Sisters of Charity of Cleveland was endowed in 1996 from the proceeds of a partnership involving St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. Previously, the sisters used the proceeds of the sale of Saint Ann Hospital in 1973 to endow the Saint Ann Foundation, the first health care conversion foundation in the United States. In 2006, the two foundations merged and blended their missions. For additional information, visit www.socfcleveland.org.

St. John Medical Center's $45 Million Plan Gets Final OK

2011-11-09T08:11:58Z

More than $45 million in improvements at St. John Medical Center (SJMC) have received final approval from the hospital's board of directors, paving way for implementation of Phases 1 and 2 of the hospital's modernization plan. Phases 3 and 4 will cost an additional $6.4 million which still needs approval by the board of trustees.

The board's approval sets in motion the mobilization of contractors and subcontractors on the St. John Medical Center campus. The projects are the result of the hospital's 5-year strategic/modernization plans, a comprehensive assessment of the hospital and its environment. The plan also includes news services or expansion of services such as the UH Neurological Institute at SJMC (which opened in April 2011), expanded and relocated pain management center (October 2011), digital mammography (October 2010), new expanded Breast Health Center (December 2011) special procedure room (June 2011) and the opening of a West side satellite location of UH Siedman Cancer Center (opening in 2012).

"We are thankful for the physicians, staff and volunteers who have worked with our team to develop the plan over the past two years," says Steve Standley, University Hospitals' Chief Administrative Office. "We are confident these improvements will significantly enhance the patient experience."

The $45 million plan features updates to St. John Medical Center's facilities and infrastructure, providing needed modernization to the hospital that was built in 1981. Included are:

Construction of a new, two-story outpatient lobby.
Renovation of the hospital's main lobby, gift shop, chapel and pastoral care department.
Cosmetic upgrades throughout the first-floor common areas.
Construction of a new canopy and landscaping at the hospital's main entrance.
Construction of new areas for outpatient registration, biometrics, preadmission testing, phlebotomy and employee health.
Construction of a new clinical decision unit/pediatric unit adjacent to the emergency department.
Construction of new SDS prep and recovery area above the Emergency Department.
Construction of new post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and endoscopy suites.
Renovation of the surgical suite.
Renovation of the laboratory and radiology.

"These projects are a unique opportunity to build upon our strengths to better meet the needs of those we serve," says Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA, President and CEO, Sisters of Charity Health System. "They support our vision to further strengthen St. John's position as the premier health care provider on the West Side." The board gave final approval to the improvement plan October 19.

St. John Medical Center is a partnership between University Hospitals and the Sisters of Charity Health System. The hospital's campus offers easy access from I-90 and I-480 and serves the growing eastern Lorain County communities of North Ridgeville, Avon and Avon Lake. Nearly 600 physicians are on the medical staff of the hospital, which also boasts 1,200 employees and about 300 volunteers. St. John Medical Center also serves as a teaching site for the Ohio College of Osteopathic Medicine, with 59 students, residents and interns. The hospital boasts such centers of excellence as emergency services, cardiovascular, spine and orthopedic center as well as critical care. St. John Medical Center was also recently recognized by US News & World Report as one of the best hospitals in the Cleveland area citing five areas of service distinction.

Mercy Medical Center Receives City of Canton Community Development Block Grant for $250,000 for New Health Care Facility in Northeast Canton

2011-11-08T03:11:02Z

Canton City Council voted unanimously on Monday, Oct. 24 to award Mercy Medical Center a City of Canton Community Development Block Grant for $250,000 for the Mercy Primary Care at St. Paul Square project. Located at 1459 Superior Ave. in Northeast Canton, Mercy Primary Care at St. Paul Square will offer a primary care physician office and ancillary services to a medically underserved area. The grant will be used to renovate a building on the grounds of the former St. Paul Catholic Church to the new Mercy health care facility.

“We are grateful that the city of Canton recognized the need for health care services in zip code 44705 and chose, early on, to join our circle of collaboration,” said Sister Carolyn Capuano, HM, vice president of Mission and Ministry at Mercy Medical Center. “With this grant, the City has become a key partner with the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, Catholic Diocese of Youngstown (St. Paul/Christ the Servant Parish) and the Sisters of Charity Health System,” Capuano said.

Canton’s Northeast area provides residency to over one fourth of the city’s population, yet currently has no health care providers. In 2010, Mercy Emergency Department experienced over 6,000 visits from residents living in zip code area 44705, most of which could have been treated by a primary care physician’s office.

“The establishment of Mercy Primary Care at St. Paul Square will allow us to provide accessible and affordable health services to this community and further carry out the hospital’s longstanding mission,” said Thomas E. Cecconi, president and CEO at Mercy Medical Center. Mercy Primary Care at St. Paul Square will provide accessible health care and help improve the quality of life for the 18,000 residents living in this historically diverse and proud neighborhood.

Building Healthy Communities to Host Farmers Market Days in Solon, OH

2011-06-28T01:06:33Z

Fresh, locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables raised by Cleveland urban teen farmers known as the Garden Boyz will be available for purchase bi-weekly at the Solon Medical Campus of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center.

Garden Boyz is an urban teen farmers program of Building Healthy Communities, which is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System. The young farmers grow pesticide-free produce in Cleveland using organic methods for farmers markets, including those held at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, the Cuyahoga County administration building and Western Reserve Area on Aging senior programs.

Throughout early to mid-summer, the Garden Boys will bring a variety of lettuces, onions, radishes, summer squash, greens and fresh herbs to market.

Beginning June 29 and recurring every other Wednesday throughout the summer, the Garden Boyz Fresh Markets will be open 3 to 5 p.m. in Solon.

Who:

Garden Boyz is an urban teen farmers program of Building Healthy Communities, which is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System

What:

Bi-weekly farmers markets. Customers are asked to bring recycled bags to fill.

Where:

St. Vincent Charity— Solon Medical Campus, 33001 Solon Road, Solon, OH 44139. Signage will be posted on Solon Road on market days.

When:

Begins Wednesday, June 29, 3 – 5 p.m. Repeats every two weeks throughout summer.

Contact:

Sharon H. Glaspie
(216) 571-1266
sharon.glaspie@stvincentcharity.com

Presentations Announced for Ohio Health Literacy Conference

2011-06-24T04:06:09Z

Eighteen abstracts have been selected for break-out sessions at the inaugural Ohio Health Literacy Conference being held October 12-13 at the Renaissance Hotel in Cleveland.

The goal of the Ohio Health Literacy Conference is to increase health literacy awareness; share resources to improve health literacy and ultimately, health outcomes; and provide tools to increase health literacy capacity at the local, regional, and state levels. The keynote speaker will be Richard H. Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States.

The break-out sessions will cover the following topics:

· Research in health literacy

· Readability and comprehension

· Clinician-patient communication

· Funding of health literacy initiatives

· Health literacy from the patient's perspective

· Signage and navigation tracers

· Innovation in health literacy

· Teaching health professionals and students about health literacy

· Institutionalizing health literacy

· Using social media for health education

Cost for the event is $199 and includes:

· CME-approved CEU opportunities

· Two full days of conference presentations and break-out sessions from national health literacy experts

· Preconference plain language writing workshop, Oct. 11

· Breakfast, lunch and snack breaks each day, with time to meet with speakers and colleagues

· Excursion night and entertainment Oct. 12

Conference planners include St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and Project Learn, in partnership with the City of Cleveland Department of Public Health, the MetroHealth System and Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio.

For more information or to register, contact healthliteracy@stvincentcharity.com.

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is a ministry of Sisters of Charity Health System.

Father’s Day celebrations planned by South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families programs

2011-06-17T01:06:24Z

In celebration of Father’s Day, programs of the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families are holding a series of family-friendly events, June 18.

Saturday, June 18

Midlands Fatherhood Coalition invites you to participate in the 2nd Annual “Walk for Fathers,” beginning at 8 a.m. at the Richland County Office, 1821 Hampton Street. The walk ends at Martin Luther King Park in Five Points. Contact the Midlands Fatherhood Coalition at (803) 933-0052 for more information.
A Father’s Place in Conway, SC, is teaming up with the Housing Authority of Conway is hosting a free event that includes food, games, door prizes and community resources. The event is from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Huckabee Community Center in the Housing Authority main office, 2303 Leonard Avenue in Conway. For additional information contact Montele Burton, HAC resident service coordinator, at (843) 248-7327.
The Lancaster Fatherhood Project and the Housing Authority of Lancaster, Inc. invites you to an afternoon of free food, on-site resources and door prizes. It will be from noon-2 p.m. at the Housing Authority of Lancaster, Inc., 3502 Carolina Court in Lancaster, SC. Contact Dr. Charmaine Stradford at (803) 246-0277 for more information or to register.

The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.

Sun Newspapers Features Upcoming St. John Medical Center Renovations and Groundbreaking Ceremony

2011-06-17T01:06:27Z

St. John Medical Center, which is co-owned by University Hospitals and Sisters of Charity Health System, was featured in a recent Sun Newspapers article describing details of the planned renovations and upcoming groundbreaking ceremony to kick-off the project.

St. John Medical Center in Westlake is set for a major overhaul

WESTLAKE, OH -- St. John Medical Center is getting ready for a major overhaul that includes the expansion of services and technology.

A groundbreaking ceremony is set for 2 p.m. on June 26 near the ambulance entrance to the medical center.

Bishop Anthony Pilla will preside over a blessing of the construction site and a picnic will immediately follow the ceremony at the Center Ridge Road facility, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

In November, officials from St. John Medical Center, University Hospitals and the Sisters of Charity Health System announced a five-year, $100 million strategic plan that includes expansion of programs and facilities.

The plan features a significant investment in updating St. John Medical Center’s facilities and infrastructure, providing needed modernization to the medical center.

Patients and their families will see dramatic changes to the front entrance, main lobby, outpatient entrance and common areas; expanded parking; a phased-in renovation of all patient rooms; upgrades to surgery, including expanded pre- and post-surgery areas; as well as four new, large operating rooms.

“This is the foundation of our strategic plan,” says Cliff J. Coker, president of St. John Medical Center. “It is a unique opportunity to build upon our strengths to better meet the needs of those we serve.”

Programs will also be added, including a new 12-bed clinical decision unit; an expanded imaging area; a new biometrics lab, endoscopy suite and extra space for a dedicated breast health center.

The renovation also includes purchasing high-end surgical and imaging equipment, including a CT scanner and a new MRI, in the next three to four years.

As part of an agreement announced earlier this year, both the Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals are making equal investments in the strategic expansion and growth of the facility.

The construction will usher in a new era for St. John Medical Center, according to Sister Judith Ann Karam, president of Sisters of Charity Health System.

“We remain committed to enhancing the medical center’s already strong position on Cleveland’s West Side and continuing to work with University Hospitals on taking the medical center to higher levels of success,” she said.