Hospitals, MedCity Influencers

More than rivalry at work in Cleveland healthcare

Clevelanders love a good rivalry – OSU/Michigan, Browns/Steelers, Cavs/Heat – but what’s happening at Cleveland […]

Clevelanders love a good rivalry – OSU/Michigan, Browns/Steelers, Cavs/Heat – but what’s happening at Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals is a different ballgame altogether.

A healthy dose of competition? Absolutely. But who can argue it hasn’t been good for our region? We have some of the best healthcare professionals and facilities in the nation, even the world. Cleveland is a city that has been consistently recognized as a place where both costs and quality are managed effectively. And each of the major systems in town – the Sisters of Charity and MetroHealth Systems included – has pursued excellence in particular areas of expertise.

The result is a tapestry of services that together create a regional healthcare system rivaling – quite formidably – any other system in the country. A bit of competition has helped them to push and challenge one another, each bringing out the best in the other.

But as much as we love a good sparring match, let’s not overlook the camaraderie and collaboration as well. We can start with the City of Cleveland’s recently announced “Healthy Cleveland” initiative, which all of the major health systems in town – Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals included – have pledged to support.

And the list goes on:

– For more than a decade they have been working side by side to address shortages and other workforce challenges through The Center for Health Affairs workforce initiative, NEONI.

– Three years ago they came together to determine how to better meet the behavioral healthcare needs of those in the greater metropolitan area.

– All of the hospitals in the region have participated actively for more than 10 years in work to ensure that as a group they are prepared to meet the needs of the community in the event of a widespread emergency.

– Through the Northeast Ohio Quality Collaborative they are working together, along with several of their Akron-area colleagues, to improve quality of care.

Really, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The healthcare organizations in town, while viewing one another with a competitive spirit, also know when the time is right for working collaboratively to raise the collective bar and do even more to benefit the city and those who live here.

Rivals? Sure. But there is much that goes on every day that brings them together and we – the eager spectators – are also the beneficiaries.

The author,  Bill Ryan, is president and chief executive officer of The Center for Health Affairs, the leading advocate for Northeast Ohio hospitals.


Bill Ryan

Bill Ryan is president and chief executive officer of The Center for Health Affairs, the leading advocate for Northeast Ohio hospitals.

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