St. John Medical Center, a Catholic Hospital that is co-owned by University Hospitals and Sisters of Charity Health System, continues to garner local and national recognition for the quality of care that it provides to our community, including a ranking as one of the nation’s top community hospitals.
The March/April issue of Becker’s Hospital Review names St. John Medical Center as one of the 20 best community hospitals in America. The list was determined by using scores from publicly available indicators, including patient safety, outcome and satisfaction, and by rankings on industry lists, including those by Thomson Reuters, US News & World Report and HealthGrades. Community hospitals were defined as having 325 or fewer beds with no or limited teaching programs.
In recognizing St. John Medical Center among the 20 best community hospitals, Becker’s cited St. John Medical Center’s recent award for the Top 100 ICUs in the nation from Thomson Reuters, its listing to the 50 Best Hospitals in America by HealthGrades; receipt of the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence and Patient Safety Excellence Award from HealthGrades; Excellence in Stroke and Pulmonary Care Award from HealthGrades; and its Level III Trauma Center and Commission on Cancer-approved community hospital program.
"We are extremely proud of these recognitions," says Cliff Coker, St. John Medical Center President. "These rankings reinforce the great work of our medical staff and employees in positioning St. John Medical Center among the best community hospitals in the country.”
Another recognition comes to St. John Medical Center from the Ohio Department of Aging, which lists the hospital’s Skilled Nursing Unit among the state’s top 10 of 955 nursing homes surveyed for resident satisfaction. St. John Medical Center received a score of 96.42 for resident satisfaction. The average nursing home satisfaction score statewide was 85.85.
The survey was conducted between August 2009 and January 2010 by an independent research firm that conducted the survey face-to-face with a sampling of residents at each facility. Residents were asked to rate their satisfaction with the facility's environment, activities, administration, direct care/nursing assistants, laundry, meals and dining, social services, therapy, laundry and general satisfaction with the facility. “The staff of our Skilled Nursing Unit can be proud that their service and care is perceived so favorably by the residents that they serve,” says Coker.
The recent recognitions come on the heels of several honors St. John Medical Center has received for the care provided to its cardiovascular patients.
St. John Medical Center is one of only 120 hospitals nationwide to receive the American College of Cardiology Foundation's NCDR ACTION Registry - GWTG Gold Performance Achievement Award. The award honors St. John Medical Center’s commitment to and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients. The adherence to guidelines set forth by the NCDR is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of heart attack patients. According to the NCDR, this will become even more important during the next decade as the incidence of heart disease is expected to grow.
The second cardiovascular recognition is the 2009 Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals: Cardiovascular Benchmarks Award for patients with heart failure and heart attack. According to Thomson Reuters, St. John Medical Center provides the community with extraordinary value and access to national benchmark-level cardiovascular services in superior clinical outcomes, managerial excellence, high procedure volume, great efficiency and significantly lower readmission rates.
"These recognitions demonstrate an ongoing commitment to excellence in cardiac care and our superiority in quality and positive outcomes," says Coker. "These awards reinforce our excellence in cardiovascular care and positions the hospital as a leader in this area."
To reflect the new arrangement between Sisters of Charity Health System (SCHS) and University Hospitals (UH), St. John West Shore Hospital will now be known as St. John Medical Center.
"The 'medical center' name will better represent the depth and breadth of the services that we provide to our community and beyond," said Cliff J. Coker, President of St. John Medical Center.
St. John Medical Center employees were shown the new logo and shared plans for the future at a recent employee forum with Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA, President and Chief Executive Officer of SCHS, Mr. Thomas Zenty III, Chief Executive Officer of UH, and Mr. Coker.
Several weeks ago, the hospital's new name was disclosed to staff in a memorandum issued by President Coker.
"Our identity as a Catholic Hospital is represented in the new logo and name and reinforces our commitment as a faith-based hospital," emphasized Mr. Coker. "As we move forward with the new name and logo, we will have a renewed commitment to the community and the opportunity to build upon our strengths and successes to better meet the needs of those we serve."
External and internal signage at the main campus and other facilities will begin to reflect the new logo. Additional logo applications (such as stationery, printed material, and employee identification badges) will be implemented after brand identity standards and guidelines have been introduced.
In addition to the new identity, St. John Medical Center will introduce several new technological upgrades.
This week, the medical center's joint venture board approved investment in two state-of-the-art, full-field digital mammography machines for breast cancer screening. Digital mammography presents a number of benefits for the doctors, the hospital, and most importantly, the patients. The new technology conforms to the natural contour of the breast providing greater comfort for the patient. For women in general, digital mammograms are as good as film mammograms for diagnosing cancer, but significantly better for three groups of women:
As part of a new agreement announced earlier this year, both SCHS and UH will make equal investments in the strategic expansion and growth of St. John Medical Center totaling up to $100 million over five years. At that time, they announced that UH would become manager of St. John Medical Center and would more closely align the hospital with UH's centers of excellence and institutes, including its nationally ranked UH Case Medical Center, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital; UH Ireland Cancer Center, and other UH medical centers throughout Cleveland's western suburbs.
As the manager, UH will be responsible for the strategic planning and investment as approved by the board to ensure that the initiatives enhance the quality of services provided at St. John Medical Center, located at 29000 Center Ridge Road in Westlake. Both members support the vision to further strengthen the position of St. John Medical Center as the premier health care provider on the West side.
New Logo for St. John Medical Center
About the New Logo
The new logo for St. John Medical Center is designed to encapsulate the strength of both Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals. Visually, it puts St. John Medical Center as the focal point supported equally by both health systems.
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 Health System is the sole sponsor of St. Vincent Charity Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio; Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio; Providence Hospitals, , which includes Providence Hospital/Providence Heart Institute and Providence Hospital Northeast in Columbia, South Carolina.
In 2009, the Sisters of Charity Health System formed a new joint venture with University Hospitals to equally own St. John West Shore Hospital which includes West Shore Primary Care. Through this equal ownership, the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine continue their legacy of high quality, compassionate care that began at the time of the founding of this Hospital.
The organization also oversees three grant making foundations located in Cleveland and Canton, OH and Columbia, SC. 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 Cleveland's Joseph's Home, a unique residential care center for homeless men, Canton's early Childhood Resource Center for people working in childcare in all settings; and Healthy Learners, a South Carolina health care resource for children from low-income families. 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.
For more information on the Sisters of Charity Health System or its individual health care and outreach ministries, visit 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 second in the nation for the care of critically ill newborns; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Ireland Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. For more information, go to www.uhhospitals.org
The 2009-2010 Flu season is in sight with many questions circulating about the differences between Seasonal Flu and the H1N1 (Swine) Flu. Public Health and Healthcare Organizations are working together to keep you informed regarding all flu types this season in a attempt to obtain the one common goal of keeping you well.
What preventative measures should you follow in order to keep you and your family well and in the event that you do become sick, what measures should you taken to ensure a full recovery?
The information below from the CDC will help to answer many of your questions. Downloadable materials and links are also provided to assist you in gathering information. If you have additional questions please consult your healthcare provider.
How can I prevent the spread of H1N1 flu or any other communicable disease?
What are the Symptoms of both Seasonal and H1N1 Flu?
* It is important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
When should I seek Emergency Medical Care?
CHILDREN – In the event your child is experiencing any of the following warning signs...
ADULTS – in the event of you or any adult is experiencing any of the following warning signs...
For more information on H1N1 (Swine Flu), please visit www.cdc.gov/swineflu.
Additional downloadable information and links:
St. John Medical Center christened its new Holistic Birthing Center with the birth of the unit's very first baby, Nicole Madison Cucu, on August 14, 2009. As Colleen M. Brezine CNM, MSN, Administrative Director of SJMC Nurse Midwifery attended, the new mom, Dawn Cucu, dad, Alex Cucu, and grandmother, Kay Adams, shared the joyful arrival. The Holistic Birthing Center was blessed on August 5, 2009 and is now open. As a hospital-based holistic birthing center, SJMC provides a unique environment that closes the wide gap between home birthing and traditional hospital birthing suites. SJMC helps to establish an intimate connection through personal prenatal care between the mother, the family, and the midwife, enhancing the power to give birth that lies within each woman.
St. John Medical Center is proud to announce the opening of its new Holistic Birthing Center. The Holistic Birthing Center was blessed on August 5, 2009 and is now open to the public. As a hospital-based holistic birthing center, we provide a unique environment that closes the wide gap between home birthing and traditional hospital birthing suites. We help to establish an intimate connection through personal prenatal care between the mother, the family, and the midwife, enhancing the power to give birth that lies within each woman. Our staff of midwives, nurses and physicians is experience in natural childbirth. They will assist, support, and guide the mother and family through the birthing process. The Holistic Birthing Center will not normally use medication, epidurals, or any other intervention. Instead, the mother is encouraged to utilize the birthing techniques offered, which consist of, aromatherapy, music therapy, water birthing, massage therapy, hydrotherapy, birth ball, walking, and squatting.
Click here to download the brochure.
The Sisters of Charity Health System (SCHS) and University Hospitals (UH) have jointly announced a non-binding letter of intent to modify their existing 50/50 not-for-profit ownership structures of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland and Mercy Medical Center in Canton. An equal 50/50 joint venture between SCHS and UH will remain at St. John Medical Center with the addition of UH assuming operations through a new management agreement.
According to the letter of intent, the Sisters of Charity Health System will obtain complete (100 percent) ownership and governance of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and Mercy Medical Center. All three hospitals will retain their Catholic mission, identity and faith obligations as they serve the ongoing health care needs of their communities.
The Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals will make equal investments totaling $100 million for St. John West Shore Hospital. Both members also will jointly invest $30 million combined in St. Vincent Charity Medical Center to create a fundraising foundation to support the hospital to better serve the community.
"This agreement will enable University Hospitals to better serve the entire St. John West Shore community," said Thomas F. Zenty, CEO of University Hospitals. "The $100 million in new strategic investments is a clear commitment by both members to making St. John West Shore a destination hospital on the West Side. We will work closely with community leaders, physicians, clinicians, employees and volunteers to make this vision a reality.
"Meeting the community's health care needs has been an unwavering commitment of University Hospitals since our founding in 1866," continued Zenty. "In addition, we have a deep and abiding respect for the Sisters of Charity Health System, and believe this new agreement will better serve the health care needs of Northeast Ohio."
"Under the Sisters of Charity Health System leadership, St. Vincent Charity will continue in Northeast Ohio its state-of-the-art care in orthopedics; the nationally renowned Joslin Diabetes Center; its leadership position in bariatric surgery; its one of only two in the state psychiatric emergency department; and its newly renovated full-service emergency department," said Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA, president & CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System.
"At the forefront of this decision was how we could best serve the health care needs of these three communities – Canton, Cleveland and Westlake," said Karam. "We have a long history of providing quality health care in Greater Cleveland and have developed strong areas of specialized care at St. Vincent Charity and St. John Medical Center. In Canton we have built an outstanding hospital with exceptional services and medical expertise. Our decisions on this new agreement were based on community needs and recognition that greater effectiveness in operations, critical to the success of the hospital ministries of the Sisters of Charity Health System since 1851, will be needed in today's environment."
The Sisters of Charity Health System will continue its 100-year commitment to the Greater Canton community through its return to sole stewardship of Mercy Medical Center. This hospital continues to combine the best of compassionate care with high-tech innovation. Currently, the hospital has plans for capital projects in excess of $100 million to continue its excellence in medical services. Mercy has long been a leader in emergency services and medicine, cardiovascular care, cancer care, orthopedics and rehabilitation, and has recently added innovative robotic laparoscopic surgical equipment to its full complement of modern heath care services.
"In addition to Mercy's many contributions to the community through its outreach and service, we are proud of the many accomplishments of our sponsored ministries in Stark County, including the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton, Early Childhood Resource Center and Mercy Medical Center," Karam said. "The Sisters of Charity Health System continues to be committed to Stark County as evidenced by the $34.6 million we have invested through our Foundation ministry since its inception.
"Given the economic and market realities of today and evolving technology, the decision to implement this new agreement reflects how health care and the delivery system is changing," Karam explained. "This new agreement will enable the Sisters of Charity Health System to more fully integrate our four wholly owned hospitals: two hospitals in Ohio and two hospitals in South Carolina, including Providence Hospital, South Carolina's leading cardiovascular center. Also, we will be able to continue our long-standing involvement in the delivery of health care to the people in the western suburbs of Cleveland through our relationship with University Hospitals at St. John West Shore.
"We are pleased to continue Catholic health care to the Greater Cleveland and Canton communities, continuing our 158-year legacy of healing individuals, families and communities," said Karam.
While this non-binding letter of intent has been approved by the boards of both health systems, approval of the transaction is subject to preparation of final legal documents, which will occur over the next several months.
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. In 1999, Sisters of Charity Health System formed two Ohio not-for-profit corporations with University Hospitals to equally own and operate St. John Medical Center, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center, Cuyahoga Physician Network, and West Shore Primary Care. Through this equal ownership, the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine continue their legacy of high quality, compassionate care that began at the time of the founding of these organizations.
The Sisters of Charity Health System is the sole sponsor of Sisters of Charity Providence Hospitals, a leading cardiovascular center in South Carolina, which includes Providence Hospital/Providence Heart Institute and Providence Hospital Northeast in Columbia, South Carolina. The organization also oversees three grant making foundations located in Cleveland and Canton, OH and Columbia, SC. 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 Cleveland's Joseph's Home, a unique residential care center for homeless men, Canton's early Childhood Resource Center for people working in childcare in all settings; and Healthy Learners, a South Carolina health care resource for children from low-income families. 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.
For more information on the Sisters of Charity Health System or its individual health care and outreach ministries, visit sistersofcharityhealth.org.
About University Hospitals
With 150 locations throughout Northeast Ohio, 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 Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top hospitals in the nation; MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and Ireland Cancer Center, which holds the nation's highest designation by the National Cancer Institute of Comprehensive Cancer Center. For more information, go to uhhospitals.org
St. John Medical Center has appointed Colleen M. Brezine, CNM, MSN, to the new position of Administrative Director of Nurse Midwifery.
"This position provides me the opportunity to continue and grow my midwifery services as well as assist St. John Medical Center in developing a Holistic Birthing Suite," said Brezine. "I look forward to this new relationship with SJMC and the opportunity to provide a much-needed service in the community."
Brezine is well known in Greater Cleveland nurse-midwifery circles. As a certified nurse midwife at SJMC from 1997 to 2003, she helped to institute the hospital's first nurse-midwifery practice and was instrumental in communicating and interpreting the philosophy, purpose, objectives and guidelines of the nurse-midwifery practice and its implementation to administration, physicians, staff nurses and the community.
Working in collaboration with board-certified obstetricians/ gynecologists, Brezine brings more than 11 years of midwifery experience to SJMC. Her practice offers the independent management of women's health care, focusing particularly on pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, care of the newborn, and the family planning and gynecological needs of women beginning with adolescence.
Her practice will offer gynecologic care, Pap tests, breast exams, and contraceptive management, as well as care during pregnancy, labor and birth. Brezine is supportive of women's birthing decisions, whether it is natural childbirth, an epidural, narcotic pain management or water birth. Since 1999, she has assisted women in experiencing the benefits of warm water immersion for labor and birth. An obstetrician is available for consultation and/or referral as needed.
Brezine returns to SJMC from Lakewood Hospital, where for the last two years she served as a certified nurse midwife and midwifery coordinator. Brezine also has owned and managed a solo nurse midwife practice. In addition, she worked for seven years at MetroHealth Medical Center, where she provided obstetric patient education, served as a staff nurse in the Level I Trauma Center, and provided care to low- and high-risk women as a labor and delivery staff nurse.
Brezine received her nursing degree from Kent State University and a master's degree from the Case Western Reserve University School of Midwifery. Certified nurse-midwives are advance practice registered nurses who have graduated from an accredited midwifery education program, passed a national certification exam and are licensed specialists in normal pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care.
Brezine's office is located on the SJMC campus at 29101 Health Campus Drive (Building 2, Suite 250). To schedule an appointment, call Elizabeth (Jones) Rodriguez, Office Manager, at 440-827-5483.
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