University Hospitals

Research increasingly shows that heart and vascular health and the environmental health of the planet are inextricably linked. Sanjay Rajagopalan, MD, Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine for UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute and the Herman K. Hellerstein, MD, Professor of Cardiovascular Research, is fast becoming one of the leading physician-scientists making this important connection, advocating for a cleaner world and a heart-healthier population. Dr. Rajagopalan recently published a commentary in the prestigious journal Circulation on this crucial topic, detailing the health impacts of pollution with a special focus on air pollution. “Air pollution contributes to more deaths per year than all wars, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and other infectious disease combined, more than half of which are of cardiovascular origin,” they write. They also lay out a host of potential solutions, including a call for the healthcare sector to do more to reduce its environmental footprint. To that end, Dr. Rajagopalan and colleagues have created a roadmap for how cardiovascular medicine practices can become more sustainable, publishing their plan in the European Heart Journal. Dr. Rajagopalan was also a co-author on the recent high-profile study of microplastics and nanoplastics and cardiovascular events, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Although the study does not show causality, it’s an important data point in the ongoing conversation about how to reduce micro- and nanoplastics in the environment. Read more at https://lnkd.in/daxuPWxn #hearthealth #airpollution #sustainability #microplastics #nanoplastics

Mandy O., Nurse Manager, UH Ahuja Medical Center, had a few reasons for bringing her career to UH two years ago. The first was UH’s great reputation for excellent, high-quality patient care. The other was more personal. “UH has always been special to me, as my grandmother had open heart surgery many years ago at UH. I saw firsthand the excellent patient care,” Mandy remembers. Now, as an employee of UH, Mandy gets to see where that excellence originates from — with the way employees care for one another. “I love the welcoming atmosphere at UH Ahuja,” Mandy says. “From the moment you walk in the doors, you will feel included. I remember when I came to the interview, everyone I passed smiled and greeted me. The staff spoke to me as if I was already a tenured member of their team. I felt at home from day one and it’s a culture I believe in.” Mandy came to UH as an experienced manager, but continues to learn and develop as a leader. Never one to shy away from taking on a challenge, trying something new, or mentoring others, she is constantly adapting to new ideas and taking a vested interest in the success of her UH team and patients. “My greatest desire as a leader is to watch people grow and succeed,” Mandy shares. “As staff develop, their impact on our patients is astounding. The greatest feeling of success is when I receive recognition from a patient or family about a particular staff member or the team and how we truly impacted their life during their stay. I love to share those accolades with the staff and see how it encourages them to continue to strive to do their best.” Experience the welcoming culture of UH and grow your career to the highest level. Join us! https://lnkd.in/eYGP4HW7 #UHNursing #UHCareers

UH CEO Cliff A. Megerian, MD, FACS, Jane and Henry Meyer Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair, loves shining a spotlight on our caregivers who stand out for living the UH values. He recently sat down with Elisa Moore, RN, Charge Nurse, UH Seidman Cancer Center at UH St. John Medical Center, and Sylvia Radziszewski, Chief Operating Officer of UH Samaritan Medical Center, both of whom received a Bravo award as part of the Cliff Appreciates program. #UHProud #greatplacetowork #serviceexcellence #caregiverspotlight #compassion

Congratulations to UH Chief Whole Health & Well-being Officer Francoise Adan MD, Director, UH Connor Whole Health and Christopher M. & Sara H. Connor Chair in Integrative Health, who received the 2024 Bravewell Distinguished Service Award from the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health (ACIMH). It is the highest honor awarded by ACIMH, bestowed each year to recognize a leader who has made a significant impact on the history and mission of the organization. According to ACIMH, Dr. Adan is being recognized for her vision, leadership, and dedication throughout the years and her continued transformative work in the integrative medicine field as a true champion of whole health. #UHProud #integrativemedicine #wholehealth #wellbeing

Team sports drew Henry D., Registered Nurse Level 3 BSN, UH Cleveland Medical Center, to nursing. As a college athlete, he always thrived in team-driven situations. Now, as a nurse in intensive care, teamwork continues to drive his love of nursing. “Working as a team in critical situations, feeding off one another’s strengths to become a force larger than the sum of its parts, and solving atypical problems through collaboration and critical thinking…it’s why I’ve stayed in love with this profession,” Henry explains. Outside of work, Henry continues to thrive on teams. He plays men’s club rugby for the Cleveland Rovers. Not only does it allow him to do what he does best — function as a part of a team — it also provides him with a healthy outlet to decompress from the stress of working in the ICU. “Nursing has given me so many opportunities to work with amazing people to provide the best possible care to our patients, and I cherish that,” Henry says. “Oftentimes, we care for patients and families on the worst days of their lives, and through teamwork and collaboration, we work to provide the best possible outcomes.” Find a sense of belonging and a greater purpose on the UH team. https://lnkd.in/e-HJgQ3D #UHNursing #UHProud #UHCareers #NursesWeek

One in nine American adults have a diagnosis of diabetes, and one in five have a diagnosis of depression, according to a recent study from the CDC. What’s more, the study found that the prevalence of depression was consistently more than 10 percentage points higher among adults with diabetes than those without diabetes. “Depression is the elephant in the room that we need to acknowledge in people with diabetes,” says Betul Hatipoglu, MD, Medical Director of the Diabetes and Metabolic Care Center and the Mary B. Lee Chair in Adult Endocrinology at UH Cleveland Medical Center. Dr. Hatipoglu highlights the need for endocrinologists, diabetes specialists and primary care providers to incorporate validated mental health screening tools into routine patient appointments. She also stresses that research shows infusing complementary modalities into treatment plans, such as yoga, meditation, light therapy or walking in nature, can help reverse depression in some people.    “We often have the cognition of what it takes to be healthy, but we need to infuse that nebulous knowledge into what I call body empowerment,” Dr. Hatipoglu says. “When there is wholeness in the healing process, individuals living with diabetes can prevent further advancement or even reverse the disease.” Read more at https://lnkd.in/gP9daVdT #diabetes #depression #mentalhealth #patientsfirst

Change is a constant variable in nursing. As technology advances and processes evolve, the best nurses are constantly embracing innovation. As a Rapid Response Nurse, UH Ahuja Medical Center, Larry B. says, “UH pushes its nursing team to grow and never stop learning. In the ICU, we are utilizing virtual nursing as a new innovative technology, and I am happy to be a part of it. Being just a click of a button away allows me to be readily available for any questions or concerns any member of the care team has.” Having worked in multiple health systems, Larry says UH uniquely provides their nurses with a safe workplace where they can speak their minds and advocate for patients, even in the midst of change. Because of that, he’s able to use his knowledge, experience, and clinical judgment to ensure patients are kept safe, informed, and heading in the direction of recovery. “If it was not for UH encouraging nurses to practice to their full potential, this would not be possible,” he says. Embrace what’s next for your career and nursing. Join the UH team. https://lnkd.in/d4T_j-Ja #UHNursing #UHProud #UHCareers #NursesWeek

Even after working in the emergency room for 25 years, Michelle H., LPN PRN 3, UH St. John Medical Center, still finds that no two shifts are alike. “That keeps me engaged and motivated,” she says. “I find great fulfillment in providing comfort and care to patients who are experiencing a medical crisis. It is truly rewarding to see them leave in a better state than when they first arrived.” Make a meaningful difference in the lives of others as a nurse at UH. Join us today! https://lnkd.in/e-HJgQ3D #UHNursing #UHProud #UHCareers #NursesWeek

Today, University Hospitals was one of five hospitals nationally who were honored with the American Hospital Association Dick Davidson NOVA award. This award recognizes hospitals and health systems for their collaborative efforts toward improving community health status through healthcare, economic or social initiatives. We were recognized for our Food for Life Markets® -- our food-as-medicine preventative model that addresses food insecurity and chronic health conditions. UH Chief Diversity, Equity and Belonging Officer Celina Cunanan, MSN, APRN-CNM, FACNM Cunanan accepted the award on behalf of UH. This prestigious award from the AHA continues to emphasize the importance of our decision back in 2018 to address food insecurity – which we then identified as one of the greatest health needs in Cuyahoga County. We collaborated with Sodexo Nutrition Services and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to open the first UH Food for Life Market® within the UH Otis Moss, Jr. Health Center. Today, we have five such markets, with plans to open another this year. Patients screening positive for food insecurity by their UH clinician receive a referral to a UH Food for Life Market®, where they receive free, healthy food. Onsite consultations with a dietitian help patients select food that addresses their medical need, while also ensuring the food options presented are culturally sensitive. The goal is to help patients control chronic conditions and live healthier lives, and results show that it’s doing just that. Patients referred to UH Food for Life Markets® saw a decrease in blood pressure; pregnant women with higher BMIs experienced less weight gain; patients with chronic kidney conditions saw reduced blood pressure readings; and diabetic patients improved their A1C scores. “One secret of the markets,” said Celina, “is the active participation of dietitians. That is a nice, wonderful way for our patients to get an individualized, tailored approach to their visit and form that relationship with the dietitian, because every month they come back and they see that same dietitian who can then check in on them.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/g_wbMA-x #foodinsecurity #foodasmedicine #healthequity #socialdisparitiesofhealth

Becker's Healthcare recently asked C-suite executives from hospitals and health systems across the U.S. who are speaking at its 12th Annual CEO+CFO Roundtable on Nov. 11-14, 2024, to share what their most effective project or initiative in the last year was that yielded great results. Here’s what UH Chief Operating Officer Paul Hinchey MD MBA, MD, MBA, had to say: “We embarked on a multi-year journey to implement our Systems of Care operational model, and we already have some good results to report from the past year. The new approach shifts the view of the delivery model from a site of delivery focus to that of the service line provider to better reflect how the patient experiences the care journey. Changing the operational model allows us to think differently about how we deploy our resources. This includes expanding our virtual footprint, redesigning what care we deliver at home in our Healthy at Home program or making better use of brick-and-mortar assets to better consolidate interdependent services in care and volume hubs. With the focus shifting to the patient journey, we meet their needs first but find efficiency in better use of space, reduced cost of care delivery, higher quality and better outcomes. Two service lines that are well on the way to achieving this are heart and vascular and cancer. For example, UH Lake West Medical Center now has high-level cardiovascular services that had not previously been available there. More cardiovascular subspecialists, a new suite for patients with vascular disease, a new diagnostic testing facility, and more complex interventional, electrophysiology and surgical procedures performed onsite. We've also established three main hubs for cancer care among our 17 sites, in addition to our main campus - UH Minoff, UH Mentor and UH Avon health centers. As a result of this system optimization, the number of participants in clinical trials is on the rise. Participation in smaller-scale trials at community sites has increased by 12% over the same metric in 2022. At the same time, participation in rigorous trials of new drugs or therapies, conducted at the three hubs, is up by 24%. Ultimately, this Systems of Care strategy is designed to bring the highest-quality care to our local communities, with patients' needs and preferences always top of mind.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/g-7Du4H2 #systemsofcare #communitybasedcare #patientexperience #highqualitycare #patientcaretransformation