Health + Wellness
It’s not exactly a news flash that tattoos have become decidedly more mainstream. Long the province of drug-addled rock stars, ex-cons and bikers, tats now can be spotted on even the most civilized among us. And as the tattoo market continues to heat up, more talented artists are finding work in Cleveland's new tattoo studios.
ReImagining a More Sustainable Cleveland, a creative land reuse initiative to transform empty city lots into gardens, orchards and farms, has received the American Planning Association's National Planning Excellence Award for Innovation in Sustaining Places.
The program, which is led jointly by Neighborhood Progress (NPI), the City of Cleveland, Kent State University's Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative and LAND Studio, was first launched in 2010. In its first round, the program funded 56 vacant lot reuse projects, including 13 community gardens, 10 market gardens, six pocket parks and three vineyards.
Now in its second round, ReImagining Cleveland will spend $1 million in 2011-2012 to turn city-owned vacant lots into community green spaces and expanded side yards for residents. To date, nearly 60 homeowners have applied for side yard expansions and 16 green space projects are being implemented.
"ReImagining is an incredibly significant and collaborative effort that helps transform neighborhoods into safer and more stable communities," said Joel Ratner, President and CEO of Neighborhood Progress. "We are so proud that the program has received this honor from the American Planning Association."
Source: Neighborhood Progress
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The program, which is led jointly by Neighborhood Progress (NPI), the City of Cleveland, Kent State University's Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative and LAND Studio, was first launched in 2010. In its first round, the program funded 56 vacant lot reuse projects, including 13 community gardens, 10 market gardens, six pocket parks and three vineyards.
Now in its second round, ReImagining Cleveland will spend $1 million in 2011-2012 to turn city-owned vacant lots into community green spaces and expanded side yards for residents. To date, nearly 60 homeowners have applied for side yard expansions and 16 green space projects are being implemented.
"ReImagining is an incredibly significant and collaborative effort that helps transform neighborhoods into safer and more stable communities," said Joel Ratner, President and CEO of Neighborhood Progress. "We are so proud that the program has received this honor from the American Planning Association."
Source: Neighborhood Progress
Writer: Lee Chilcote
What's the cumulative impact of Cleveland's 200-plus community gardens, 20-plus farmers markets and 60-odd acres of urban land that have been tilled and planted for a future harvest?
That's an as yet unanswered question, says the City of Cleveland's new Sustainability Chief, but one she hopes to glean serious answers to in the coming year. Billed "The Year of Local Food" by Sustainable Cleveland 2019, a grassroots, city-led movement to employ sustainability as an engine to grow the regional economy, 2012 is going to be a momentous year.
"Local food is exciting because it combines entrepreneurship and environmental benefits with making connections in the local community," says Jenita McGowan, who last week succeeded Andrew Watterson as the city's Sustainability Chief. "We're really hoping to better connect Cleveland residents with local food, since many people still don't know what is available and how to access it."
Other plans for 2012 include increasing the number of urban farmers in the city, tying into the West Side Market's centennial celebrations this fall, and garnering commitments from large institutions to buy more food locally.
"The Year of Local Food allows all local groups to co-market their work," says McGowan. "That helps them to tie into a larger movement."
Sustainable Cleveland 2019 will host a kick-off event for the Year of Local Food this Friday, Jan. 20th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cleveland City Hall at 601 Lakeside.
Source: Jenita McGowan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
That's an as yet unanswered question, says the City of Cleveland's new Sustainability Chief, but one she hopes to glean serious answers to in the coming year. Billed "The Year of Local Food" by Sustainable Cleveland 2019, a grassroots, city-led movement to employ sustainability as an engine to grow the regional economy, 2012 is going to be a momentous year.
"Local food is exciting because it combines entrepreneurship and environmental benefits with making connections in the local community," says Jenita McGowan, who last week succeeded Andrew Watterson as the city's Sustainability Chief. "We're really hoping to better connect Cleveland residents with local food, since many people still don't know what is available and how to access it."
Other plans for 2012 include increasing the number of urban farmers in the city, tying into the West Side Market's centennial celebrations this fall, and garnering commitments from large institutions to buy more food locally.
"The Year of Local Food allows all local groups to co-market their work," says McGowan. "That helps them to tie into a larger movement."
Sustainable Cleveland 2019 will host a kick-off event for the Year of Local Food this Friday, Jan. 20th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cleveland City Hall at 601 Lakeside.
Source: Jenita McGowan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Ian Wong, a medical student at CWRU, found through his studies that there was a real need for access to fresh, quality food in Cleveland’s high-density areas. His theory: If people have fresh produce, nutrition is second nature. So he and co-founder Max Wilberding started Freshbag, a grocery delivery service that debuted in 2010.
“The company was essentially started to improve wellness in Cleveland through nutrition,” Wong says. “Our point is if we make it so easy, you have no excuse not to do it. You can live healthier.”
The emphasis is on fresh. The food comes from distributors and Wong keeps a close eye on quality. “I never had fresh rye bread or fresh pasta before Freshbag,” he says. “Now I can’t go back.”
Customers order their food -- mostly a selection of fruits and vegetables -- through the Freshbag website. They can then pick up their groceries at one of Freshbag’s six pickup locations, primarily the front desks of apartment complexes, businesses or university campuses.
Wong is currently asking customers for input on where they should add additional pick-up locations. “All a company has to do is okay us to make deliveries to the front desk,” says Wong.
The Freshbag business model is based on an automated ordering system where customers can order exactly what they want with just-in-time ordering. Orders arrive at the pick-up location the next day after an order is placed.
Freshbag also is focusing on corporate wellness programs, working with nutritionists and chefs to teach their customers how to eat healthy and cook tasty food.
Wong and his partners have dreams to expand. “Hiring will be based on how rapidly we grow,” he says.
Source: Ian Wong
Writer: Karin Connelly
“The company was essentially started to improve wellness in Cleveland through nutrition,” Wong says. “Our point is if we make it so easy, you have no excuse not to do it. You can live healthier.”
The emphasis is on fresh. The food comes from distributors and Wong keeps a close eye on quality. “I never had fresh rye bread or fresh pasta before Freshbag,” he says. “Now I can’t go back.”
Customers order their food -- mostly a selection of fruits and vegetables -- through the Freshbag website. They can then pick up their groceries at one of Freshbag’s six pickup locations, primarily the front desks of apartment complexes, businesses or university campuses.
Wong is currently asking customers for input on where they should add additional pick-up locations. “All a company has to do is okay us to make deliveries to the front desk,” says Wong.
The Freshbag business model is based on an automated ordering system where customers can order exactly what they want with just-in-time ordering. Orders arrive at the pick-up location the next day after an order is placed.
Freshbag also is focusing on corporate wellness programs, working with nutritionists and chefs to teach their customers how to eat healthy and cook tasty food.
Wong and his partners have dreams to expand. “Hiring will be based on how rapidly we grow,” he says.
Source: Ian Wong
Writer: Karin Connelly
A public hearing by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the City of Cleveland's permit application for a proposed waste-to-energy plant drew a large crowd to Estabrook Recreation Center on Monday night. Despite the city's promises that the new plant will effectively turn trash into treasure -- in the form of synthetic gas that can be used to create electricity -- many attendees said that environmental concerns and scant communication have left them with a long list of concerns.
"Why have there been a lack of community meetings around this issue?" asked Jeff Ramsey, Executive Director of the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, citing only two community meetings held last year. "I don't consider a two-week comment period to be community engagement."
Other attendees expressed concerns about the plant's technology, which is relatively new and has not yet been used in the U.S. "Gasification has been touted as a clean technology, but it is not," said Stuart Greenberg, Executive Director of the nonprofit Environmental Health Watch. "If the City of Cleveland is the first to try this untested technology, then shouldn't there be more controls on it?"
Ward 14 City Councilman Brian Cummins stated his objections based upon concerns about pollution affecting low-income and minority constituents. "Pollution has affected our community for over 150 years," he said. "We want to move forward, not backward, and we're concerned about lead and mercury."
The City of Cleveland has stated that the Cleveland Recycling and Energy Generation (CREG) Center will create up to 100 new jobs, reduce the city's costs of hauling waste to out-of-county landfills, facilitate citywide recycling efforts, reduce environmental pollution and provide a safe, greener method of creating energy. The city also deems the CREG Center as a means of reaching its sustainability goals and Advanced Energy Portfolio Standard goal.
Following the hearing and comment period, the Ohio EPA will rule on the city's application for a permit. The city has not yet said how it plans to finance the gasification plant, which is expected to cost as much as $200 million.
Source: Jeff Ramsey, Brian Cummins, Stuart Greenberg
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Why have there been a lack of community meetings around this issue?" asked Jeff Ramsey, Executive Director of the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, citing only two community meetings held last year. "I don't consider a two-week comment period to be community engagement."
Other attendees expressed concerns about the plant's technology, which is relatively new and has not yet been used in the U.S. "Gasification has been touted as a clean technology, but it is not," said Stuart Greenberg, Executive Director of the nonprofit Environmental Health Watch. "If the City of Cleveland is the first to try this untested technology, then shouldn't there be more controls on it?"
Ward 14 City Councilman Brian Cummins stated his objections based upon concerns about pollution affecting low-income and minority constituents. "Pollution has affected our community for over 150 years," he said. "We want to move forward, not backward, and we're concerned about lead and mercury."
The City of Cleveland has stated that the Cleveland Recycling and Energy Generation (CREG) Center will create up to 100 new jobs, reduce the city's costs of hauling waste to out-of-county landfills, facilitate citywide recycling efforts, reduce environmental pollution and provide a safe, greener method of creating energy. The city also deems the CREG Center as a means of reaching its sustainability goals and Advanced Energy Portfolio Standard goal.
Following the hearing and comment period, the Ohio EPA will rule on the city's application for a permit. The city has not yet said how it plans to finance the gasification plant, which is expected to cost as much as $200 million.
Source: Jeff Ramsey, Brian Cummins, Stuart Greenberg
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The prevailing impression of regionalism that has been bandied about Northeast Ohio for the better part of a decade is all wrong, says a collaborative group of area nonprofits. While the consolidation of countless municipalities is useful, it is not intrinsically regionalism. True regionalism, they argue, is defined by economic activity -- not political boundaries.
You'd never know it by looking at her, but Julie Foucher is the "Fifth-Fittest Woman on Earth." Weighing in at a trim 130 pounds, the 5-foot, 4-inch 23-year-old battled her way to the fifth-best spot among women at last year's Reebok CrossFit Games. Foucher isn't just wicked fit; she's wicked smart, too. The University of Michigan graduate is a first-year med student at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.
While we pride ourselves here at Fresh Water in having crisp, professional prose, the truth is, without art, a feature is just font on a page. Pictures tell a thousand words, we're told, but the best ones simply leave us speechless. Every masthead and feature image since we launched this pub over a year ago has been shot by Fresh Water shooter Bob Perkoski. Here is a collection of some of his finest work.
"Wellness" might sound like the latest corporate buzzword. But a growing number of local entrepreneurs have begun incorporating the concept into a new breed of anti-corporate gyms that cater to health-savvy urban professionals. In recent years, indie gyms and studios have sprung up in Ohio City, Tremont, St. Clair Superior and other neighborhoods not served by large fitness chains.
Completing the last five-mile leg of the Towpath Trail into Cleveland might be taking longer than it took to dig the entire Ohio and Erie Canal, whose 100-plus mile span was carved out by hand in just two years in the 1820s. Yet thanks to a recent $500,000 grant from the State of Ohio, the trail is inching ever closer to its final destination -- Settlers Landing Park in the Flats.
The grant from the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, along with $3 million that was received earlier this year from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, will allow trail backers to break ground next year on an important .6-mile stretch along Scranton Road. More than 80 miles already have been completed; the last five miles into Cleveland is considered the home stretch for this decades-long project.
The funds will be used to build a 10-foot-wide paved trail along Scranton from Carter Road south to University Road in the Flats. The trail will be isolated for now, until it is eventually connected with the section of the Towpath that runs through the Steelyard Commons shopping center. A portion of the funding will also be used to restore fish habitat along the edge of the Cuyahoga River.
“This grant, and the construction work to come, represents another step forward in fully connecting this important regional resource to downtown Cleveland,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald in a statement. “This will mean a more attractive riverfront and a cleaner environment. This is good news for Cuyahoga County.”
Towpath planners predict the last trail sections, which must wend their way through formerly industrial land in the Flats, will proceed in three more stages. The portion from Steelyard to Literary Avenue in Tremont could start in 2015.
Source: Cuyahoga County Office of the Executive
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The grant from the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, along with $3 million that was received earlier this year from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, will allow trail backers to break ground next year on an important .6-mile stretch along Scranton Road. More than 80 miles already have been completed; the last five miles into Cleveland is considered the home stretch for this decades-long project.
The funds will be used to build a 10-foot-wide paved trail along Scranton from Carter Road south to University Road in the Flats. The trail will be isolated for now, until it is eventually connected with the section of the Towpath that runs through the Steelyard Commons shopping center. A portion of the funding will also be used to restore fish habitat along the edge of the Cuyahoga River.
“This grant, and the construction work to come, represents another step forward in fully connecting this important regional resource to downtown Cleveland,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald in a statement. “This will mean a more attractive riverfront and a cleaner environment. This is good news for Cuyahoga County.”
Towpath planners predict the last trail sections, which must wend their way through formerly industrial land in the Flats, will proceed in three more stages. The portion from Steelyard to Literary Avenue in Tremont could start in 2015.
Source: Cuyahoga County Office of the Executive
Writer: Lee Chilcote
NorTech was recently named a recipient of the State Science and Technology Institute’s 2011 Excellence in Technology-Based Economic Development (TBED) Awards. Now in its fifth year, the awards program identifies national models developed by states and regions to accelerate science, technology and innovation to grow their economies and create high-paying jobs.
NorTech won the Most Promising TBED Initiative award for its cluster model, which is currently being applied to advanced energy and flexible electronics industries. The model can also be applied to other industries.
"The SSTI award validates the NorTech model as a as a best practice approach to accelerate regional industry clusters,” says Rebecca Bagley, NorTech president and CEO. We look forward to continuing to apply our cluster development model to help companies grow, create jobs and attract capital to generate positive economic impact.”
NorTech is a nonprofit tech-based economic development organization serving 21 Northeast Ohio counties. As a catalyst for growing emerging technology industries, NorTech is leading efforts to develop regional innovation clusters that create jobs, attract capital and have a long-term, positive economic impact.
“The award brings external validation from national technology-based economic development practitioners for NorTech’s work and impact,” says Bagley. “From July 2010 to July 2011, advanced energy and flexible electronics cluster companies supported by NorTech have attracted $20.5 million in capital, created 171 jobs and generated $10.8 million in payroll.”
Source: Rebecca Bagley
Writer: Karin Connelly
NorTech won the Most Promising TBED Initiative award for its cluster model, which is currently being applied to advanced energy and flexible electronics industries. The model can also be applied to other industries.
"The SSTI award validates the NorTech model as a as a best practice approach to accelerate regional industry clusters,” says Rebecca Bagley, NorTech president and CEO. We look forward to continuing to apply our cluster development model to help companies grow, create jobs and attract capital to generate positive economic impact.”
NorTech is a nonprofit tech-based economic development organization serving 21 Northeast Ohio counties. As a catalyst for growing emerging technology industries, NorTech is leading efforts to develop regional innovation clusters that create jobs, attract capital and have a long-term, positive economic impact.
“The award brings external validation from national technology-based economic development practitioners for NorTech’s work and impact,” says Bagley. “From July 2010 to July 2011, advanced energy and flexible electronics cluster companies supported by NorTech have attracted $20.5 million in capital, created 171 jobs and generated $10.8 million in payroll.”
Source: Rebecca Bagley
Writer: Karin Connelly
Residents of Lyndhurst typically live 24 years longer than residents of the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland, according to a recent analysis by the Cuyahoga County Place Matters Team. This health disparity is why the group, in collaboration with the Saint Luke's Foundation, has launched a speaker series at the City Club of Cleveland focused on creating healthier communities in Cuyahoga County.
"It shouldn't matter how much money you have, your community should still be thriving," says Sandy Chappelle, Senior Program Officer with the Saint Luke's Foundation and a leader of the Place Matters initiative. "Quality housing, safe streets and other factors all go into whether a community is healthy or not."
This past Tuesday, the Place Matters team hosted a City Club event with Ron Sims, former U.S. Department of Housing and Development Deputy Secretary, who spoke about how land use planning can impact public health outcomes.
The long-term goal of the Place Matters initiative, says Chappelle, is not to drive prescriptive policies, but rather to infuse knowledge of healthy communities into the larger, public policy decisions that are made at the regional level.
"One example of unhealthy planning is that many new schools are built so that kids have to take the bus, which contributes to lack of physical activity and obesity," says Chappelle. "Yet now we're becoming increasingly aware that all sectors must work together to tackle health outcomes. People are also more aware that this is directly connected to our region's economic viability."
Source: Sandy Chappelle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"It shouldn't matter how much money you have, your community should still be thriving," says Sandy Chappelle, Senior Program Officer with the Saint Luke's Foundation and a leader of the Place Matters initiative. "Quality housing, safe streets and other factors all go into whether a community is healthy or not."
This past Tuesday, the Place Matters team hosted a City Club event with Ron Sims, former U.S. Department of Housing and Development Deputy Secretary, who spoke about how land use planning can impact public health outcomes.
The long-term goal of the Place Matters initiative, says Chappelle, is not to drive prescriptive policies, but rather to infuse knowledge of healthy communities into the larger, public policy decisions that are made at the regional level.
"One example of unhealthy planning is that many new schools are built so that kids have to take the bus, which contributes to lack of physical activity and obesity," says Chappelle. "Yet now we're becoming increasingly aware that all sectors must work together to tackle health outcomes. People are also more aware that this is directly connected to our region's economic viability."
Source: Sandy Chappelle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A handful of U.S. cities have torn down or busted through the '60s-era highway walls that separate their neighborhoods from adjacent waterways. Despite critics' fears that such people-friendly projects will cause calamitous traffic delays, they often reap major economic, social and environmental benefits while adding only a few minutes to the average commute.
Cleveland's version of such a wall is the West Shoreway -- a homely, 2.5-mile stretch of concrete that is designed to move cars in and out of the city, but blocks residents' access to Lake Erie. Until recently, it appeared likely that Cleveland would find a way to bust through this wall. The long-planned West Shoreway project would "transform a 2.5 mile freeway into a scenic, tree-lined boulevard," according to a description on the Ohio Department of Transportation website.
Yet a series of cost overruns, the state's budget crunch and a philosophical shift at ODOT have thrown the very future of the project into question. State officials gave low scores to the city's recent request for additional funding, arguing that reducing the speed limit from 50 to 35 miles per hour would downgrade a functional roadway. Cleveland officials responded by accusing ODOT of trying to kill the project, which has been in the works for more than a decade.
As a December 15th meeting, where funding decisions will occur, looms ahead, cycling advocates, neighborhood residents and public officials are mounting a frontal assault on ODOT to shore up their commitment to the project.
"It's not true that we can't slow cars down -- the George Washington Parkway in D.C. is a major commuter road with bike lanes and crosswalks, and it works well," says Kevin Cronin, a board member of Cleveland Bikes, a nonprofit group rallying to preserve the bike-friendly project. "We need to make sure that this project moves forward, and that it includes bike and pedestrian lanes."
In an effort to get the project back on track, city officials and neighborhood advocates will host a public meeting with ODOT officials on Thursday, December 1st at 6 p.m. at Franklin Circle Church, 1688 Fulton Avenue in Ohio City.
Source: Kevin Cronin
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Cleveland's version of such a wall is the West Shoreway -- a homely, 2.5-mile stretch of concrete that is designed to move cars in and out of the city, but blocks residents' access to Lake Erie. Until recently, it appeared likely that Cleveland would find a way to bust through this wall. The long-planned West Shoreway project would "transform a 2.5 mile freeway into a scenic, tree-lined boulevard," according to a description on the Ohio Department of Transportation website.
Yet a series of cost overruns, the state's budget crunch and a philosophical shift at ODOT have thrown the very future of the project into question. State officials gave low scores to the city's recent request for additional funding, arguing that reducing the speed limit from 50 to 35 miles per hour would downgrade a functional roadway. Cleveland officials responded by accusing ODOT of trying to kill the project, which has been in the works for more than a decade.
As a December 15th meeting, where funding decisions will occur, looms ahead, cycling advocates, neighborhood residents and public officials are mounting a frontal assault on ODOT to shore up their commitment to the project.
"It's not true that we can't slow cars down -- the George Washington Parkway in D.C. is a major commuter road with bike lanes and crosswalks, and it works well," says Kevin Cronin, a board member of Cleveland Bikes, a nonprofit group rallying to preserve the bike-friendly project. "We need to make sure that this project moves forward, and that it includes bike and pedestrian lanes."
In an effort to get the project back on track, city officials and neighborhood advocates will host a public meeting with ODOT officials on Thursday, December 1st at 6 p.m. at Franklin Circle Church, 1688 Fulton Avenue in Ohio City.
Source: Kevin Cronin
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Global Cleveland, a regional economic development organization, has launched a pilot program: English and Pathways for Healthcare Professionals. The six-month program, launched in October, is designed to help immigrants with their English and find jobs that match the skills they developed in their native countries.
“The objective is to find immigrants jobs in healthcare who were healthcare professionals in their home countries but haven’t been able to find work here,” explains Global Cleveland president Larry Miller. “By the time they get out of the program we will help them find jobs, although maybe not at the level they were initially."
The pilot program has 21 participants from around the globe. Among them are four doctors, one RN, one dentist, one dietician and one physical therapist. None of them have jobs in their respective fields. During the six months the participants will study English medical terminology, learn about the U.S. healthcare system, get coaching on finding a job, and have networking opportunities.
“The stories I hear from the program so far is that it’s a frustrating situation for some of them and they’re excited about this program,” says Miller. Participants will also get help in transferring their credentials from their home countries to the U.S.
The program is run in partnership with The Ohio Board of Regents, Cleveland State University, Polaris Career Center, the World Education Services and NE ABLE.
“It’s a really nice partnership,” says Miller. “Everything’s coming together really nicely.”
Source: Larry Miller
Writer: Karin Connelly
“The objective is to find immigrants jobs in healthcare who were healthcare professionals in their home countries but haven’t been able to find work here,” explains Global Cleveland president Larry Miller. “By the time they get out of the program we will help them find jobs, although maybe not at the level they were initially."
The pilot program has 21 participants from around the globe. Among them are four doctors, one RN, one dentist, one dietician and one physical therapist. None of them have jobs in their respective fields. During the six months the participants will study English medical terminology, learn about the U.S. healthcare system, get coaching on finding a job, and have networking opportunities.
“The stories I hear from the program so far is that it’s a frustrating situation for some of them and they’re excited about this program,” says Miller. Participants will also get help in transferring their credentials from their home countries to the U.S.
The program is run in partnership with The Ohio Board of Regents, Cleveland State University, Polaris Career Center, the World Education Services and NE ABLE.
“It’s a really nice partnership,” says Miller. “Everything’s coming together really nicely.”
Source: Larry Miller
Writer: Karin Connelly
trial led by cleveland clinic touted in wall street journal
"A study involving Eli Lilly & Co.'s experimental drug evacetrapib showed it was able to boost good cholesterol levels while lowering the bad kind," writes Jennifer Corbett Dooren for the Wall Street Journal.
"The study was presented Tuesday at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It was funded by Eli Lilly and led by doctors at the Cleveland Clinic."
Evacetrapib is designed to inhibit cholesteryl ester transfer protein, or CETP, which is involved in transferring cholesterol particles from HDL -- the "good" cholesterol -- to LDL, referred to as "bad" cholesterol.
Read the rest here.
"The study was presented Tuesday at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It was funded by Eli Lilly and led by doctors at the Cleveland Clinic."
Evacetrapib is designed to inhibit cholesteryl ester transfer protein, or CETP, which is involved in transferring cholesterol particles from HDL -- the "good" cholesterol -- to LDL, referred to as "bad" cholesterol.
Read the rest here.
"My primary objective is to bring 100,000 newcomers to Northeast Ohio," says Larry Miller, newly appointed president of Global Cleveland. Miller brings more than 25 years of talent attraction and international human resources experience to the organization tasked with promoting the quality of life in and around Cleveland.
cleveland clinic's focus on patient satisfaction lauded in wall street journal
In an article on the increased focus on patient satisfaction at hospitals, Wall Street Journal writer Laura Landro highlights positive measures taken at The Cleveland Clinic.
Titled "A Financial Incentive for Better Bedside Manner," the feature illustrates how a patient's opinion of a hospital is greatly shaped by how they are treated both in and out of the operating room.
"Cleveland Clinic Chief Executive Delos "Toby" Cosgrove, a heart surgeon by training, says he had an epiphany several years ago at a Harvard Business School seminar, where a young woman raised her hand and told him that despite the clinic's stellar medical reputation, her grandfather had chosen to go elsewhere for surgery because 'we heard you don't have empathy.'" Landro writes.
To improve the Clinic's patient-satisfaction scores, which ranked below the national average, the hospital opened an Office of Patient Experience, and began putting "caregiver" on the badges of all employees. More than 40,000 staffers -- from doctors to parking attendants -- were put through training programs on delivering ideal patient experiences. The hospital launched HEART -- hear the concern, empathize, apologize, respond and thank. It developed a Healing Services team to offer complimentary light massages, aromatherapy, spiritual care and other holistic services. There were more than 18,000 services offered in 2010.
Since 2008, the Cleveland Clinic's overall hospital ratings have increased by 89%. And compared to last year, the annual volume of complaints the hospital has received will show a 5% decline over last year.
Check out the rest of the report here.
Titled "A Financial Incentive for Better Bedside Manner," the feature illustrates how a patient's opinion of a hospital is greatly shaped by how they are treated both in and out of the operating room.
"Cleveland Clinic Chief Executive Delos "Toby" Cosgrove, a heart surgeon by training, says he had an epiphany several years ago at a Harvard Business School seminar, where a young woman raised her hand and told him that despite the clinic's stellar medical reputation, her grandfather had chosen to go elsewhere for surgery because 'we heard you don't have empathy.'" Landro writes.
To improve the Clinic's patient-satisfaction scores, which ranked below the national average, the hospital opened an Office of Patient Experience, and began putting "caregiver" on the badges of all employees. More than 40,000 staffers -- from doctors to parking attendants -- were put through training programs on delivering ideal patient experiences. The hospital launched HEART -- hear the concern, empathize, apologize, respond and thank. It developed a Healing Services team to offer complimentary light massages, aromatherapy, spiritual care and other holistic services. There were more than 18,000 services offered in 2010.
Since 2008, the Cleveland Clinic's overall hospital ratings have increased by 89%. And compared to last year, the annual volume of complaints the hospital has received will show a 5% decline over last year.
Check out the rest of the report here.
NorTech is accepting nominations for its 11th annual innovation awards, which highlight breakthrough technologies and innovations in Northeast Ohio.
“The innovation awards recognize those businesses and individuals and leaders who have created jobs and attracted capital to the region,” says NorTech president and CEO Rebecca Bagley. “The bottom line is recognizing companies that have had a positive economic impact.”
NorTech has held the competition since 2000, and this is the fourth year they have partnered with Crain’s Cleveland Business to identify businesses that have had both a positive economic impact and a social impact. “It’s pretty competitive,” says Bagley. “Last year we had 40 nominations.”
Entries are judged in one of five areas: advanced energy; advanced materials; biomedical, flexible electronics; and instrumentation, control and electronics. Within those areas, judges look at creativity, feasibility, collaboration and triple bottom line Impact -- social, economic and environmental.
Judges are selected from the wide geographic area that NorTech represents, and are leaders in a variety of industries, universities and economic development. “We try to mix it up,” says Bagley. “We make sure the judges are representative and a strong balance of people.”
The deadline for nominations is 1 p.m. on November 11. Individuals and businesses can nominate themselves. The nomination packet can be found on NorTech’s website.
“It’s important and exciting to be able to highlight all of the things that are happening here in the region,” says Bagley. “It gives people the sense of momentum as we go through an economic shift.”
Source: Rebecca Bagley
Writer: Karin Connelly
“The innovation awards recognize those businesses and individuals and leaders who have created jobs and attracted capital to the region,” says NorTech president and CEO Rebecca Bagley. “The bottom line is recognizing companies that have had a positive economic impact.”
NorTech has held the competition since 2000, and this is the fourth year they have partnered with Crain’s Cleveland Business to identify businesses that have had both a positive economic impact and a social impact. “It’s pretty competitive,” says Bagley. “Last year we had 40 nominations.”
Entries are judged in one of five areas: advanced energy; advanced materials; biomedical, flexible electronics; and instrumentation, control and electronics. Within those areas, judges look at creativity, feasibility, collaboration and triple bottom line Impact -- social, economic and environmental.
Judges are selected from the wide geographic area that NorTech represents, and are leaders in a variety of industries, universities and economic development. “We try to mix it up,” says Bagley. “We make sure the judges are representative and a strong balance of people.”
The deadline for nominations is 1 p.m. on November 11. Individuals and businesses can nominate themselves. The nomination packet can be found on NorTech’s website.
“It’s important and exciting to be able to highlight all of the things that are happening here in the region,” says Bagley. “It gives people the sense of momentum as we go through an economic shift.”
Source: Rebecca Bagley
Writer: Karin Connelly
MedCity Media was created in 2009 to highlight Ohio's burgeoning biomedical industry. Since then it has expanded into two other markets and has become a go-to resource for those tracking developments few others are reporting. More markets are on the way, promises founder Chris Seper.