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CLEVELAND, OH—(October 10, 2016)—At its signature fundraising event, Caritas: A Celebration of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and Cleveland State University announced a collaboration to support and expand on the existing academic and medical hub in the Campus District.

Individually, St. Vincent Charity and CSU are powerful economic drivers, representing hundreds of millions of dollars to the local economy and thousands of jobs. Together, St. Vincent’s and CSU play an integral role in the ongoing revitalization of Cleveland, the Campus District and the Central Neighborhood.

For the past few years, both presidents have expressed a desire to leverage the institutions to benefit the community. Starting in early 2016, St Vincent Charity and CSU began exploring ways in which these two storied institutions could work together to make a greater impact on our city and region. For example, through a collaboration between St. Vincent’s Spine & Orthopedic Institute and CSU’s Washkewicz College of Engineering, researchers are working together to improve rehabilitation techniques and create new prosthetic technology. And that’s just the beginning.

True to their respective missions, these institutions are exploring ways in which they can address the opiate epidemic in a collaborative manner that not only expands treatment in the short term, but also identifies new evidenced-based treatments and research that will address tomorrow’s challenges.

“All of this is exciting for both of our organizations, but most importantly, it is exciting for the Campus District and the communities we are blessed to serve,” said Dr. David F. Perse, president and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, at the event.  “Not even a year into our partnership and our collaboration is already generating tangible results.”

“As anchor institutions, we recognize our responsibility to serve the people of Cleveland,” said Cleveland State University President Ronald M. Berkman. “Together, St. Vincent and CSU are committed to this mission.”

“At the core of everything we do at CSU is our philosophy of Engaged Learning, which extends our classrooms into the city itself,” said Dr. Berkman. “Engaged Learning prepares our students to succeed in their chosen professions by combining higher education and hands-on experience through co-ops, internships and other real-world opportunities.”

Work has included engagements between St. Vincent Charity and faculty and researchers in the colleges of engineering, sciences and health professions, nursing and law. St. Vincent Charity is a teaching site for CSU’s joint medical degree program with Northeast Ohio Medical University, which is dedicated to training a more diverse group of health-care professionals to meet the unique health-care needs of urban neighborhoods.

In support of the collaboration, Dr. Perse announced at the event that more than a half-million dollars in gifts that support the collaboration. “I am confident that others will want to help us grow these efforts in scope and sophistication. Among those gifts are:

-          $250,000 of the Robert S. and Germaine Lahiff Hines Endowment will be earmarked for tuition scholarships for our nurses who wish to advance their RN degree to a BSN.  Those funds will be used to help our caregivers further their education at Cleveland State University’s School of Nursing.

-          $200,000 in each of the next 3 years was recently committed by the Everest Foundation for our Residency Program at St. Vincent Charity including projects with researchers at Cleveland State.

-          $100,000 of the Caritas event proceeds to help further develop the partnership with CSU.

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About St. Vincent Charity Medical Center

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is Cleveland’s faith-based, high-quality healthcare provider. Our distinguished doctors and caregivers are devoted to treating every patient with clinical excellence and compassionate care. St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is home to the renowned Spine and Orthopedic Institute and the Center for Bariatric Surgery. Owned by the Sisters of Charity Health System, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center provides Care Beyond Medicine. For more information, visit www.stvincentcharity.com.

About Cleveland State University

Founded in 1964, Cleveland State University is a public research institution that provides a dynamic setting for Engaged Learning. With 17,000-plus students, nine colleges and more than 175 academic programs, CSU was again chosen for 2017 as one of America’s best universities by U.S. News & World Report. Find more information at www.csuohio.edu.

ST. VINCENT CHARITY MEDICAL CENTER RECEIVES $1.9 MILLION GIFT FOR NURSING EDUCATION FROM NURSING STUDENT ALUMNI.

A $1.9-million-dollar gift to strengthen nursing education has been given to St. Vincent Charity Medical Center—one of the largest gifts in its history, given by the Robert S. and Germaine Lahiff Hines Endowment. 

Germaine Hines graduated from St. Vincent Charity School of Nursing and served as a first lieutenant in the Army Corps of Nurses during World War II. During her service, she was one of the pioneers to use the new drug penicillin to treat soldiers fighting on the front line. Honored for her brave service, Mrs. Hines received a Commendation Ribbon for noteworthy service, the American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and a letter from President Harry S. Truman.  \

She married Robert Hines who worked for General Motors and later became an educator, serving as dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. The couple lived in Hawaii there until their deaths. Mrs. Hines lived to be 98 and died in 2006 and Mr. Hines died in 2014.  

Dr. David Perse, president and CEO of St. Vincent Charity, said in a release: "This amazing gift by Germaine and Robert Hines was given because of their love and appreciation for the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and the incredible education Mrs. Hines received decades ago. The Sisters taught not just the skills and discipline of nursing, but the importance of providing dignity to every patient. We are grateful that the Hines endowment will help preserve that legacy and provide opportunities for our own nurses to continue to deliver care beyond medicine."

The St. Vincent Charity School of Nursing, founded in 1898 trained more than 2,600 nurses during its 90 years, before it closed. Although the School of Nursing no longer exists, nursing education still continues through the halls of St. Vincent Charity and the Sisters of Charity Health System. Through the generous gift given by the Robert S. and Germaine Lahiff Hines Endowment, top priority will be given to continued professional nursing education, development of nurse educators, and specialized training for critical, emergency, surgery and behavioral health care. The view the full article, click here.

ST. VINCENT CHARITY MEDICAL CENTER RECEIVES NATIONAL ACCREDITATION FOR THE CENTER FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY.

Obesity affects over 15 million people in the United States, increasing the risks of health issues including type II diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Metabolic and bariatric surgical procedures have proven to be successful in reducing comorbidities related to severe obesity.  

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center has long been offering patients a comprehensive program for surgical treatment of severe obesity. Now, the Center for Bariatric Surgery has recently been designated as an Accredited Center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®), a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). To earn this accredited status, the center had to meet essential criteria for staff, training, protocols for care and facility infrastructure. In addition, it participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its processes and outcomes, identifying opportunities for continuous quality improvement.

“Achieving this accreditation is a result of all of the hard work of the multidisciplinary team at the Center for Bariatric Surgery at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center,” said Dr. Michael Nowak, MBS Director and Medical Director of the Center for Bariatric Surgery. “We have a legacy of providing high quality of care for bariatric surgery patients and are driven to continue to do so.”

The Center for Bariatric Surgery includes a multidisciplinary team approach of surgeons, nurses, health educators and nutritionists working as a team with each patient. Bariatric surgery treatment includes preoperative and postoperative educational and clinical care tailored to each patient’s needs. This comprehensive program improves patient surgical outcomes and continued success throughout their life.  

“St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is very proud of its nearly 20-year history of providing exceptional care for our bariatric patients,” said Dr. David F. Perse, President and CEO. “Our multidisciplinary approach is critical to the success of our more than 8,000 patients.”

ST. VINCENT CHARITY MEDICAL CENTER RECEIVED THE PRESTIGIOUS 2016 EXCELLENCE AWARD FROM THE NATIONAL RESEARCH CORPORATION (NRC).

St. Vincent Charity was recognized at the 22nd Annual NRC Picker Patient-Centered Symposium in August, named a Patient-Centered Care Champion for Continuity of Care and Transitions of Care. The awards are given based on categories identified by patients as being most important to their care. Marijo Atkinson and Anne Messer, representing St. Vincent Charity Medical Center were in San Diego to receive the award.

“Quality and patient safety are part of our mission,” said Dr. David F. Perse, President and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. “We are constantly striving to improve the care we provide our patients and our community and this kind of recognition is validation of that ongoing work.”

As a 2016 award recipient, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is among a select few healthcare innovators recognized by their patients as leading the way to quality patient-centered care. The awards are given based on those areas that patients have identified as being most important to their care.

Award recipients were selected based on categories that patients have identified as being most important to the quality of their care. The awards are given to those organizations that are ranked by patients as demonstrating high performance in one of the following categories: Overall Hospital Rating, Overall Provider Rating, Improvement Planner Champion, Value-Based Purchasing Champion, and Patient-Centered Care Champion.

The eight winners of the award were chosen from the large database of hospital clients based on their performance over the last four quarters.

"Implementing improvement processes are difficult and require large amounts of time and resources, so when organizations make the commitment to look past those constraints, it really defines who the winners are,” said Helen Hrdy, Senior Vice President of Client Service at NRC. “We congratulate St. Vincent Charity Medical Center for truly defining patient-centered care.”

NRC is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. For more information, visit www.nationalresearch.com

ST. VINCENT CHARITY MEDICAL CENTER IS ON THE FRONT LINES OF TREATING OPIATE ADDICTION WITH INPATIENT DETOX AND RECOVERY PROGRAMS.

Cuyahoga County is seeing an epidemic of opiate addiction and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center’s Rosary Hall is providing the only inpatient treatment program in all of Northeastern Ohio. As of July 2016, the county had lost over 230 individuals to opioid overdose. U.S. Surgeon General (VADM) Vivek H. Murthy recently made a visit to Rosary Hall and stressed that addiction is a chronic disease, encouraging community partners to come together with prevention and treatment efforts. 

Dr. Ted Parran, addiction medicine specialist and associate medical director of Rosary Hall said: “the ways that epidemics are beat down is through broad and ongoing community awareness about the dangers, increased treatment capacity and aggressiveness of a well-rounded program, and reinforcing to people with addictive brain disease that if you have a problem with one substance, you will have a problem with all substances.”

How does opiate addiction happen? 

People experience pleasure or happiness through a process called the dopamine surge. This can be achieved through a variety of experiences like being a parent, enjoying a sunny day, and activities with friends or loved ones. For those with an addictive brain, the dopamine surge can also be produced through the effects of opiate use. 

“Doctors have not been very good at figuring out who should never get within 100 yards of prescription opiates—people with addictive brain,” he said. When people cannot get prescription drugs or can no longer afford them, they get them illegally—drugs often made from illegal pharmaceutical labs.  Unlike prescription drugs that use a fixed amount of opiates within the chemical make-up, addicts do not know what the level of purity is when they use heroine, and other opiates made illegally.  

Why do we see more deaths from drug addiction than alcohol addiction?

“There are a handful of fatal overdoses from alcohol,” explains Parran. “The difference between intoxicated level and fatal overdose of alcohol is very broad. With heroin and opiates, the difference between intoxicated and fatal is very narrow.” 

Today, Rosary Hall is the only hospital in Northeast Ohio that has an inpatient opioid detox program, giving patients a safe and supportive place to chemically withdraw and then join a recovery program. Parron says: “People need a safe, clinically excellent place to chemically withdraw in a supportive environment. Being able to detox in a hospital setting is critical for opiate-dependent individuals. When you’re drinking or drugging, you’re not worrying about your health. They often require lab studies, imaging, medical or surgical consults, physical or occupational therapy and psychiatric evaluations. We have the ability to have those people seen and get treatment started while they are being detoxed. …Rosary Hall is rooted in the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous that worked in 1935 and works today.”  To learn more, watch the video “The Addictive Brain.”

The opiate epidemic in Northeast Ohio and across the United States continues unabated. The Cuyahoga County Coroner reported recently that August was the deadliest month with 52 deaths from overdoses of heroin, fentanyl and now, carfentanil, which is an elephant sedative 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 2500 times the potency of heroin. Through August, there have been 330 deaths from overdoses in Cuyahoga County, up from 228 for all of 2015. St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is sponsoring an Opiate Conference on Thursday, Sept. 29th at the Hilton Garden Inn on Carnegie Avenue. Hear from experts and those working on the frontlines of this epidemic. Cost is $35 per person and includes CEU opportunities. The event is open to the public.

Register Now

CLEVELAND, OH—(September 12, 2016)—Patients seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice for receiving treatment at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality of care in the Northeast Ohio area.

Dr. Michael Nowak, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Director at the Center for Bariatric Surgery today announced its bariatric surgical center has been accredited as Accredited Center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®), a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

The MBSAQIP Standards, outlined in the Resources for Optimal Care of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patient 2014 ensure that bariatric surgical patients receive a multidisciplinary program, not just a surgical procedure, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. The accredited center offers preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for their severely obese patients.

“Achieving this accreditation is a result of all of the hard work of the multidisciplinary team at the Center for Bariatric Surgery at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center,” said Dr. Michael Nowak, MBS Director and Medical Director of the Center for Bariatric Surgery. “We have a legacy of providing high quality of care for bariatric surgery patients and are driven to continue to do so.”

The Center for Bariatric Surgery at St. Vincent Charity’s commitment to quality care begins with appropriately trained staff and the leadership surgeons who participate in meetings throughout the year to review its outcomes. They seek continuous improvement to enhance the structure, process and outcomes of the center.

To earn the MBSAQIP designation, the Center for Bariatric Surgery met essential criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to support patients with severe obesity. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its processes and outcomes, identifying opportunities for continuous quality improvement. The standards are specified in the MBSAQIP Resources for Optimal Care of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patient 2014, published by the ACS and ASMBS.

“St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is very proud of its nearly 20-year history of providing exceptional care for our bariatric patients,” said Dr. David F. Perse, President and CEO. “Our multidisciplinary approach is critical to the success of our more than 8,000 patients.”

Learn more about the Center for Bariatric Surgery by visiting: www.stvincentcharity.com/bariatrics.

After submitting an application, centers seeking MBSAQIP Accreditation undergo an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon, who reviews the center's structure, process, and clinical outcomes data. Centers are awarded a specific designation depending on how many patients it serves annually, the type of procedures it provides, and whether it provides care for patients under age 18.

In the United States, around 15.5 million people suffer from severe obesity, according to the National Institutes of Health, and the numbers continue to increase. Obesity increases the risks of morbidity and mortality because of the diseases and conditions that are commonly associated with it, such as type II diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, among other health risks. Metabolic and bariatric surgical procedures have proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to severe obesity.* Working with ASMBS, the ACS expanded this quality program for bariatric surgery centers so that it can assist bariatric patients in identifying those centers that provide optimal surgical care.

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*Buchwald H, Avidor Y, Braunwald E, et al. Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2004;292(14):1724-1737. DOI:10.1001/jama.292.14.1724.

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About St. Vincent Charity Medical Center

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is Cleveland’s faith-based, high-quality healthcare provider. Our distinguished doctors and caregivers are devoted to treating every patient with clinical excellence and compassionate care. St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is home to the renowned Spine and Orthopedic Institute and the Center for Bariatric Surgery. Owned by the Sisters of Charity Health System, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center provides Care Beyond Medicine. For more information, visit www.stvincentcharity.com.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice and to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient. Its achievements have placed it at the forefront of American surgery and have made the College an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 80,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

About the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, founded in 1983, was formed to advance the art and science of metabolic and bariatric surgery by continually improving the quality and safety of care and treatment of people with obesity and related diseases through educational and support programs for surgeons and integrated health professionals.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 (CLEVELAND, OHIO) – National Research Corporation (NRC), has selected client St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, of Cleveland, Ohio, as a recipient of its 2016 Excellence award. St. Vincent Charity was recognized at the 22^nd Annual NRC Picker Patient-Centered Symposium in San Diego on Sunday, August 28.

NRC selected Excellence award recipients based on their achievement within categories that patients have identified as being most important to the quality of their care. The award is only bestowed upon those organizations that are ranked by patients as being a top performer in one of the following categories: Overall Hospital Rating, Overall Provider Rating, Improvement Planner Champion, Value-Based Purchasing Champion, and Patient-Centered Care Champion

The winners were selected from the extensive database of NRC hospital clients for their performance over the last four quarters. St. Vincent Charity was selected for its performance within the Adult Inpatient Dimensions of Patient-Centered Care for the time period of April 2015 to March 2016. The eight facilities noted in the Dimension Awards had the highest combined percentages of patients rating them positively out of 454 facilities in the individual Dimensions of Patient-Centered Care.  St. Vincent Charity was noted for its Continuity and Transition Dimension.

"Implementing improvement processes are difficult and require large amounts of time and resources, so when organizations make the commitment to look past those constraints, it really defines who the winners are,” said Helen Hrdy, Senior Vice President of Client Service at NRC. “We congratulate St. Vincent Charity Medical Center for truly defining patient-centered care.”

As a 2016 award recipient, St. Vincent Charity is among a select group of healthcare innovators leading the way on the path to patient-centered care.

“Quality and patient safety are part of our mission,” said Dr. David F. Perse, President and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. “We are constantly striving to improve the care we provide our patients and our community and this kind of recognition is validation of that ongoing work.”

About National Research Corporation

For more than 30 years, National Research Corporation (NASDAQ: NRCIA and NRCIB) has been at the forefront of patient-centered care. Today, the company’s focus on empowering customer-centric healthcare across the continuum extends patient-centered care to incorporate families, communities, employees, senior housing residents, and other stakeholders.

NRC is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. For more information, call 800-388-4264, write to info@nationalresearch.com, or visit www.nationalresearch.com.

PATIENT AT ST. VINCENT CHARITY MEDICAL CENTER CREDITS CULTURE OF RESPECT TO SUCCESSFUL KNEE AND HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY AND BEING ABLE TO DANCE AT DAUGHTER’S WEDDING

Elaine Makupson, a Nurse Case Manager at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center for the past 12 years, and a patient advocate for over 30 years found herself with the tables turned. She became a patient herself. She has been suffering from knee and hip pain for several years, but had been afraid to consider surgery. Now, her daughter’s wedding was approaching and she wanted to be able to walk her daughter down the aisle and dance at her wedding. That motivated her to make an appointment with Dr. Audley Mackel. Dr. Mackel is board-certified in orthopedic surgery and chair of the Division of Orthopedics at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. 

Elaine knew the great caregivers through her work. But her concerns were personal.  

“People know it’s a Catholic hospital. But as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, my caregivers at St. Vincent Charity respected my religious beliefs on blood transfusions. There was never any hassle about it. They were trained in bloodless surgery and ready to treat me without even thinking about it. It was very important to me not to be pressured to compromise my faith and values.”

This environment of mutual respect is what sets St. Vincent Charity apart from others in Cleveland.  

“There is a culture of respect in this hospital. All of the support staff are respected at this hospital for their role in patient care. Our doctors respect everyone. That culture of respect spills over into how patient care is delivered—whether it is from a physician or housekeeping.”

Elaine now has new knees and hips on both sides. She realizes that the surgery did more than allow her to walk her daughter down the aisle. It has allowed her to continue with the demands of work and use her personal experience as a surgery patient to help her patients go through their medical journey and receive the same compassionate care that she experienced.

To read Elaine Makupson’s full article, click here.

DIABETES ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE AGREE THAT BARIATRIC SURGERY IS NOW A STANDARD TREATMENT OPTION FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES

It has been known that metabolic or bariatric surgery improves blood glucose control, along with cardiovascular risk factors. But not until recently have guidelines been proposed to advise clinicians and policy makers on the benefits of metabolic surgery for type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Surgery Summit, held in early fall of 2015 in London drew professionals from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and other international organizations to develop guidelines of the benefits and limitations of metabolic surgery for type 2 diabetes. The surgery is defined with the intent to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.  

"Surgery represents a radical departure from conventional approaches to diabetes. The new Guidelines effectively introduce, both conceptually and practically, one of the biggest changes for diabetes care in modern times," said Dr. Francesco Rubino, a Professor of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at King's College London in the UK, co-director of the DSS-II and the first author of the report. "

St. Vincent Charity’s Dr. Michael Nowak, Medical Director and surgeon for the Center for Bariatric Surgery agrees.

“It is good to finally see this. Bariatric surgeons have seen improvements in diabetes with bariatric surgery for years; improvements that happen before significant weight loss occurs, often before the patient leaves the hospital. The increased safety of bariatric surgery combined with excellent, well-designed studies that confirm this should lead to an increased use of surgery to treat these patients.”

While metabolic surgery is similarly safe to gallbladder surgery, there are risks of complications and long-term lifestyle changes that need to accommodate the nutritional deficiencies that require lifelong supplements and long-term follow-up from dietary experts. More research is needed.

To learn more about The Center for Bariatric Surgery at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, click here.

ST. VINCENT CHARITY’S ROSARY HALL REMOVES BARRIERS AND HELPS OPIOID ADDICTS GET THE TREATMENT THEY NEED

“There were times I thought I was just going to die.”
 
That is the despair that “Lisa,” addicted to opioids and alcohol, felt as she tried again and again to reach out to numerous treatment facilities, only to land in voicemail and forced to wait for a live person to actually call her back. Knowing she needed help and ready to accept it, Lisa because more discouraged with every call—until she dialed the number for St. Vincent Charity’s Rosary Hall and Orlando Howard picked up the phone to talk to her.

“Rosary Hall was the first place that I felt like I could actually talk to somebody. They made me feel like this could be done,” Lisa said.

There are 3,200 phone calls that come through each month, said Orlando Howard, Manager of Outpatient Treatment Services for Rosary Hall. And each is directly answered by one of four addiction intake team members.

“When most people make a decision to make a change, they are ready now,” Howard said. “If they have to wait for a return call in 20 minutes, they might change their mind. If you don’t talk to them right then and there, you have probably lost them for a week or even forever,” he said.

St. Vincent Charity understands the importance of removing barriers to treatment so that addicted patients can quickly begin the steps necessary toward recovery. Like Lisa, many who suffer addiction find themselves without the private insurance required by most inpatient treatment facilities.

By partnering with the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County, St. Vincent Charity ensures that there are no barriers to treatment. Of Rosary Hall’s treated 1,547 patients in the detoxification unit last year, 86.3 percent were funded by the ADAMHS Board or Medicaid.

After a thorough assessment to determine Lisa’s drug and alcohol use, she was recommended for inpatient detox treatment at Rosary Hall.

Even though Lisa describes herself as a “stubborn person,” she said the detox coaches and nursing staff were able to convince her to “swallow my pride and stay for the full five days,” because she quickly found they fully understood the stresses, emotions and challenges she was experiencing. All of the detox care coaches at Rosary Hall are required to be in recovery themselves.

Orlando said this personal experience gives Rosary Hall coaches and staff the understanding they need to remind patients why it is important to stay in treatment and to talk patients out of leaving the program early, risking a relapse or even death. 

After leaving her inpatient treatment, Lisa recently finished six weeks of Intensive Outpatient treatment (IOP) for three hours a day, three days a week, and 12 weeks of weekly non-intensive outpatient treatment. She has also been prescribed the medication Suboxone and continues to meet with her sponsor and attend support meetings to assist with her recovery. She credits St. Vincent Charity and Rosary Hall with saving her life.

“I never thought there was hope for people like me who are addicted to opioids. Without Rosary Hall, I don’t think I would be alive.” –Lisa

ST. VINCENT CHARITY MEDICAL CENTER SERVES LOW-INCOME PATIENTS THROUGH DISCOUNT MEDICATION PROGRAM

Catholic hospitals across the country provide low-income patients with much needed health care
through participation in a federally funded drug discount program known as Section 340B of the Public
Health Service Act. The program, passed by Congress in 1992, provides specific outpatient medication
at discounted rates to qualifying nonprofits. These organizations, like St. Vincent Charity Medical
Center, are known as safety net providers. Through their participation in the 340B program, they are
able to serve their most vulnerable populations.

Ministry advocates said in a recent article in Catholic Health World, a publication from the Catholic
Health Association of the United States: “340B is vital to their service to the poor and vulnerable and
they've used savings generated through participation in the discount program to provide low-cost drugs
to poor patients and to cross-subsidize other services in their safety net facilities.”

The program requires pharmaceutical companies that participate in the Medicaid program to provide
specific brand and generic drugs at discounted rates to qualified safety net providers. The article says:
“... some manufacturers provide steeper discounts than mandated, David Brudapast, director of
pharmacy, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, said that the program is manufacturer-driven. ‘Without
their support it would not exist.’”

The way it works is safety net providers buy specific medications from participating pharmaceutical
companies for their outpatient pharmacies, as well as contract to local pharmacies in the community.
Low-income patients, as well as patients with private insurance, or those covered by Medicare purchase
their prescribed medications. However, the safety net provider is reimbursed the full amount by the
federal government or a patient’s private insurance, and thus, uses these reimbursement funds to
provide medical care to their low-income patients. The article states: “The 340B facilities are not
required to pass their discount along to patients, but as nonprofit facilities, they have their individual
charity care policies in place to provide services and prescription drugs at no cost or at reduced cost to
their uninsured and underinsured patients.“

The program is critical for hospitals like St. Vincent Charity Medical Center to be able to serve their most
vulnerable patients, but it is under pressure. Many pharmaceutical manufacturers claim the program has
grown beyond the original scope, causing drug pricing to be distorted and are asking for stricter
eligibility participation. Ministry advocates of the 340B program John Rusnaczyk, senior vice president
and chief financial officer, and Brudapast, both of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center have asked for
support from legislators and pressed for the continuation of this program.

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, like Catholic hospitals around the country, is dedicated to serving the
needs of the whole community. The 340B program ensures that the mission continues to be possible—
to serve with a deep respect for the dignity and value of all persons and dedication to the poor.

ST. VINCENT CHARITY MEDICAL CENTER WORKED WITH ALL CLEVELAND AREA HOSPITALS TO PREPARE FOR REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION.

Area health systems, including St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, coordinated services that may have been needed for possible public health scenarios during the Republican National Convention (RNC) held in Cleveland in mid-July. Thousands attended and Cleveland’s health systems were ready. 

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, and University Hospitals, along with city and county officials and Cleveland’s Division of Emergency Medical Services met for the past year to work together to put everything in place. Global events like the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, the bombing in Brussels in March and last month’s shootings in Orlando have certainly increased awareness and the need to be prepared for the possibility of a large number of patients to be treated.

With the Republican National Convention set to kick off this evening in downtown Cleveland, we wanted to share some traffic information for our patients and visitors, because emergencies happen regardless of who is in town.

If you are coming from points west and south, please use I-490 east to I-77 north and exit at East 22nd Street exit. There may be fewer lanes open on I-77 north into town, but the exit will be open.

If you are coming from the far eastern suburbs, use I-77 north to East 22nd Street exit. If you are coming from the near eastern suburbs, use Carnegie Avenue or Woodland Avenue to East 22nd Street.

You can follow our updates throughout the week on social media, including Facebook (@StVincentCMC) and Twitter (@StVincentCMC).

We're excited to participate in putting Cleveland on the national and international stage. We wish everyone a safe week.

In light of the large crowds from the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Championship Parade and Rally, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is currently under controlled access. All patients, families and employees are welcome. Entry is available through the main lobby doors and the Emergency Department Main Entrance. Thanks for your cooperation.

Summer is upon us, rather suddenly it seems. A snowstorm in late May gave way to what so far has been beautiful weather. Nowhere is this more evident than on the roads and in the parks around Greater Cleveland. 

Our summers are short, so when the opportunity presents itself, we hit the outdoors with a vengeance. Almost overnight the bike lanes are filled up with bicyclists. Joggers are everywhere. The municipal tennis courts are filled, and a golf tee time becomes more difficult to find. 

Even performing yard work—not traditionally thought of as an athletic endeavor—stresses muscles, tendons and joints that have not been stressed since the last days of autumn. As we rush to enjoy the outdoors, and get in some physical activity, hopefully some common sense advice can keep you out of my office. 

As we age, our muscles aren’t as pliable as they were when we were younger. That makes them more prone to muscle strains which can occur as a result of repetitive overuse. This is even more so early in the season, particularly if we haven’t been physically active over the cold winter months.

A gentle stretching regimen will prepare the muscles for physical exertion, and can be done before as well as after the physical activity. Plan to increase your exertion gradually. Rather than going out on that first five mile hike, perhaps a couple of one mile hikes might help to build endurance and strength, as you work yourself up to mid-season form. 

The same applies to yard work. Rather than raking your entire yard of winter debris, break it down into smaller increments. If you find that you have overdone it, and feel aches or pains, do not try to work through it. “No pain, no gain” does not apply to recreational athletes, and certainly does not apply to yard work.

Stop performing the activity that is causing pain. Ice may be applied to the affected body part, and can help to diminish swelling. An elastic wrap, if applicable, can also help to diminish swelling and provide support. Elevation can help to alleviate swelling as well. Over the counter anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen can be taken as directed if concurrent medical conditions do not preclude their use. Hopefully these simple tips can help keep you out of my office and enjoying yourself outdoors.

Dr. Matthew Levy, orthopedic surgeon at the Spine and Orthopedic Institute at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Solon, specializes in general orthopedics and sports medicine. For a consultation, call 440-248-1297.