Delivering the UH Difference 2010 Community Benefit Report
Dear Friend, For 145 years, University Hospitals has played an active and integral role in the communities we serve at many different levels. The compassion of our talented and dedicated physicians, nurses and employees is what defines UH, with each person focused every day on fulfilling our mission: To Heal. To Teach. To Discover. And that same deep interest in the people we serve goes beyond our quality and patient-centered care. Our community benefit programs help extend our mission into the community reaching out to help groups and individuals with tangible and meaningful assistance. In 2010, we contributed $244 to community benefit programs and services, including $35 in charity care. Our total contribution represented 13.2 percent of our system s net patient revenue and $9 more than our 2009 contribution. As one of Northeast Ohio s top employers and through the jobs created from the capital investments of our Vision 2010 strategic plan, UH is also proud to drive economic growth in our region. The scope of our community programs range from assisting people in proactively managing their health to providing discounted or free care to those unable to afford it. Educational programs, extensive informational resources and literally hundreds of dedicated volunteers help people more easily access health services and take part in wellness practices to prevent illness in the first place. We continue our commitment to advance medical knowledge through leading-edge clinical research and teaching the next generation of physicians through our nationally ranked flagship hospital, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, the primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Thank you for your support of University Hospitals. We pledge our continued commitment to enhancing the well-being of our communities, both through our health care expertise and a genuine compassion and empathy for our neighbors. On the cover: Amma Owusu-Ansah, MD, pediatric hematology/oncology (left), pictured with Obiageri Ekeh, MD, pediatric critical care, is a fellow whose research is supported by Rainbow Babies & Children s Foundation Fellowship Research Award in Pediatrics (FRAP) program and the laboratory of John Letterio, MD, Chief, Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children s Hospital s Angie Fowler Child and Young Adult Cancer Institute and Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researching new and improved treatment options for sickle cell patients. Among the nation s leading academic medical centers, University Hospitals Case Medical Center is the primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, a nationally recognized leader in medical research and education. Thomas F. Zenty III Chief Executive Officer University Hospitals Alfred M. Rankin Jr. Chairman, Board of Directors University Hospitals 2 University Hospitals UHhospitals.org University Hospitals 1-866-UH4-CARE 3
University Hospitals 2010 Total Community Benefit Contribution $42 $35 $47 $49 $85 Medicaid shortfall Community health improvement services, programs and support Education and training Research Charity care This chart totals $258. This amount is reduced by $14 received through the Hospital Care Assurance Program for a net Community Benefit of $244. UH and the Region s Economic Health The UH health system provides work directly for more than 17,000 employees and physicians. As the seventh largest employer in Ohio, UH employees pay more than $45 annually in local and state income taxes. UH s capital investments provided significant benefits to our local economy: We planned to spend at least 5 percent of our construction costs with women-owned businesses and achieved 7.3 percent. We planned to spend at least 15 percent of our construction costs with minority-owned businesses and reached 22.3 percent. We exceeded our plan to award 80 percent of our Vision 2010 contracts to local businesses by ultimately awarding 91.5 percent. We committed to a donation of $200,000 to the ACE (architecture, construction and engineering) Mentor Program over four years. Construction activities supported more than 5,200 jobs at the height of construction and generated more than $500 in wages, salaries and benefits. Following completion of construction we will have supported an estimated 1,200 new hospital-based jobs. 4 University Hospitals UHhospitals.org University Hospitals 1-866-UH4-CARE 5
Living Easier and Stronger with Sickle Cell Anemia Melinda Crosby talks with Christine Lawrence, LISW, a social worker whose job is to tend to the special care of sickle cell patients, from prescription and insurance issues to counseling. Christine began a support group for sickle cell patients in October 2010. Between 15 and 30 people attend each month to hear medical speakers and to share their own stories. Melinda Crosby and University Hospitals are lifelong friends. UH has helped her cope with sickle cell anemia since she was 9 years old. Doctors and nurses at UH understand each person with sickle cell anemia is different, she says. They do whatever they can to help. For that, she s grateful. Sickle cell anemia is an inherited condition affecting mostly African- Americans in which normally round red blood cells are shaped like sickles. Patients can have problems when the sickle-shaped blood cells attempt to pass through small blood vessels in the joints, causing pain, fatigue, joint troubles and other problems. Melinda, now 41, has been managing the chronic illness for 32 years. I get aches and pains and have no energy, she says. Sometimes the whites of her eyes turn yellow. Symptoms worsen in cold weather. Even minor infections can blow up into a crisis, as she learned after knee surgery a few years ago. When her symptoms flare up, as they often do, she comes to UH. UH knows what they re doing, Melinda says. They have dedicated physicians for each patient, and the nurses are wonderful. Sickle Cell Fast Track Clinic To make care easier for sickle cell patients, UH created the Sickle Cell Fast Track Clinic. Fast Track allows patients with an established physician relationship who experience a sickle cell pain crisis to call Fast Track and immediately come to the UH Seidman Cancer Center Infusion Center for pain relief, IV fluids and other treatment, bypassing the emergency department and avoiding unnecessary medical costs. Exciting Advancements in Sickle Cell Research John Letterio, MD, Chief, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children s Hospital s Angie Fowler Child and Young Adult Cancer Institute and Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, along with a team of physician-scientists have made an exciting discovery in the treatment of sickle cell disease. The team has identified the importance of Nrf2, a protein involved in the survival of red blood cells, and hope further exploration of this therapeutic target leads to new and improved treatment options for patients. Dr. Letterio plans to validate the findings in a series of clinical trials starting this fall. 6 University Hospitals UHhospitals.org University Hospitals 1-866-UH4-CARE 7
Educating the Next Generation of Health Professionals Training future health care professionals is the foundation of academic medicine. Physician residency and fellowship programs allow doctors to train in general medicine or specialize in a specific field through time-intensive programs that range from three to eight years after medical school. In 2010 University Hospitals committed $1 to NewBridge Cleveland over five years, helping students like Destiny and Shakiir prepare for a career in phlebotomy. Healthier Career Opportunities through Health Professions Education A year ago Shakiir Jordan was making an hourly wage in a restaurant. Destiny Ramos worked nights as an aide in a nursing home. Today, thanks to the NewBridge Cleveland Center for Arts & Technology, Shakiir and Destiny are studying to become phlebotomy technicians. Phlebotomy technicians primarily draw patients blood for testing and can be gainfully employed at hospitals, clinics, private practices, diagnostic laboratories and blood banks. NewBridge provides career training for unemployed and underemployed adults, as well as after-school artsbased programs for urban high school students. Recognizing the need to create meaningful jobs and target high-demand health care professions, University Hospitals, NewBridge and other partners identified careers, such as phlebotomy technicians and pharmacy technicians, for the adult training program and supported NewBridge with operational funding. 8 University Hospitals UHhospitals.org Students like Shakiir and Destiny attend classes for six hours a day, five days a week in anatomy, physiology, specimen collection and processing techniques, and computer skills. They learn how to apply for jobs and interview successfully. After four months of study and a fourweek hospital internship, they re ready to go to work. As an academic medical center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center is home to a long-standing medical education program, training more than 900 adult and pediatric physicians, as well as 2,200 nurses and allied health professionals each year. These professionals often go on to provide care in our local community, as well as communities throughout the nation, many of which experience physician shortages. These shortages, in both primary and specialty care, result in longer wait times for appointments, often causing delay of care. The physician training programs through UH Case Medical Center, UH Richmond Medical Center and UH Rainbow Babies & Children s Hospital receive funding to support health professionals education through federal programs such as the Children s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education program and the Medicare Graduate Medical Education program. Ross Myers, MD, spent three years training as a pediatric resident at UH Rainbow Babies & Children s Hospital, followed by three years of specialized training in pediatric pulmonology. By training specialists and subspecialists in both adult and pediatric medicine, University Hospitals provides greater access to care for patients like Donald Samkas. For Shakiir, 28, NewBridge promises a solid future and more. I m learning skills so I ll be prepared to walk into a job, says Shakiir, who hopes someday to do autopsies at the county morgue. With this, I can be more. I want to learn more, he says, then quietly adds he earned a 4.0 GPA in his NewBridge classes. Destiny, too, sees a brighter future for herself and her 2-year-old son. NewBridge helped me realize my dream of becoming a registered nurse could now become a reality. University Hospitals 1-866-UH4-CARE 9
Hope without Hindrances Cancer survivor Robert Corbett is grateful to be alive. He s also thankful for a financial plan offered by University Hospitals that allowed him to be treated successfully for rectal cancer without worrying about the cost. The Cleveland Heights resident, 60, went to a free clinic in May 2010 for what he thought were hemorrhoids, but when doctors found a tumor the size of a baseball, the diagnosis was far grimmer: stage 3 rectal cancer. Without delay, Robert was admitted to UH for surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. He was uninsured, but it didn t matter. UH caregivers began treatment without asking a single financial question something Robert will never forget and provided him with charity care. UH offers charity care for uninsured patients through its Hospital Charity/ Financial Assistance Program in order to allow patients such as Robert to receive the high-quality health care they need. Robert was so grateful for the care he received that he participated in a voluntary clinical trial involving post-surgical treatment. They did so much for me, he says. I wanted to give back. Robert is now cancer-free. He urges people over 55 to have colonoscopies, something he admits he delayed. I have a new appreciation for my family. I have new priorities. This was like I d gone to the bottom. I m still coming up, but I m alive. Active Senior Skills University Hospitals is helping seniors take their health into their own hands through a variety of seminars and activities offered at UH medical centers throughout Northeast Ohio. From exercise routines to question and answer sessions with a physician, UH strives to provide innovative programs and services to enhance the well-being of seniors and help them maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. The following programs provide access to prevention and wellness techniques and information that allows seniors to stay strong, independent and energized: UH Bedford Medical Center s Senior Network UH Conneaut Medical Center s Health Smart Senior Luncheon UH Geauga Medical Center s Exersize for Life UH Geneva Medical Center s Senior Forums UH Richmond Medical Center s Health Speak Program University Hospitals is committed to treating all patients with dignity and respect regardless of their financial status or ability to pay. UH has a Hospital Charity/Financial Assistance Program for patients who are uninsured and who meet certain eligibility criteria. The program covers services received at UH hospitals and their associated outpatient facilities. For more information, call 216-844-8299 or 1-800-859-5906. 10 University Hospitals UHhospitals.org University Hospitals 1-866-UH4-CARE 11
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