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(Cleveland, OH – June 1, 2015) St. Vincent Charity Medical Center today announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® for Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval^® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care. 

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center (SVCMC) underwent a rigorous, unannounced on-site survey in March 2015. During the review, a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated compliance with hospital standards related to several areas, including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management. Surveyors also conducted on-site observations and interviews.

The Joint Commission has accredited hospitals for more than 60 years. More than 4,000 general, children’s, long-term acute, psychiatric, rehabilitation and specialty hospitals currently maintain accreditation from The Joint Commission, awarded for a three-year period. In addition, approximately 360 critical access hospitals maintain accreditation through a separate program.

“Joint Commission accreditation provides hospitals with the processes needed to improve in a variety of areas from the enhancement of staff education to the improvement of daily business operations,” said Mark G. Pelletier, RN, M.S., chief operating officer, Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission. “In addition, our accreditation helps hospitals enhance their risk management and risk reduction strategies. We commend (name of organization) for its efforts to become a quality improvement organization.”

“St. Vincent Charity is pleased to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation,” added Dr. David F. Perse, President and CEO. “Staff from across the organization continue to work together to develop and implement approaches that have the potential to improve care for the patients in our community.”

The Joint Commission’s hospital standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. The standards are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help hospitals measure, assess and improve performance.

Patients with spinal problems that result from “wear and tear” of the spine may experience back pain, leg pain, or a combination of the two.  Many patients experience back pain as their primary symptom. Sometimes this pain is severe and disabling, sometimes dull and constant, and most times it’s aggravated by activity. Less frequently, but still pretty often, patients experience leg pain, a burning or tingling sensation running down the thigh or calf towards the foot, sometimes associated with muscular weakness. Some patients are unlucky enough to have both. 

Which of these pain patterns a patient has determines more about their evaluation, treatment, and prognosis for recovery than does any other aspect of care. So, the most important question your doctor will ask you really is, “Where does it hurt?”

The Causes of Back Pain

The type of pain that any individual experiences is determined by the cause of the pain, and the location of the pain generator – the actual structure or tissue that is generating pain signals.

Back pain often results from several things happening at once. Often there is an underlying level of “wear and tear” that has been worsening for years. The disc may have degenerated, or the small facet joints may have become arthritic. Perhaps there was a direct injury to the back resulting in fracture or ligament injury. On top of these issues, the back muscles may have gotten out of shape, and can no longer do their job without going into spasm. And all of these issues are made worse by inflammation.

Now imagine trying to provide one simple treatment that will fix all of those problems at the same time. 

There isn’t one. And fusion certainly won’t cover all of these bases. If used for the wrong problem a fusion won’t help and may even hurt. So the first important rule is that fusion will only be really effective if it is used in just the right circumstances.

Which fusion is right for you?

Fusion is the cornerstone to surgical treatment of back pain. Fusion allows us to correct alignment of degenerated segments and stop abnormal motion that can trigger pain and muscle spasm. Fusion is very effective at reducing back pain if that pain is caused by deformity, disc degeneration or instability. However, (second rule), even in cases of instability fusion is never the first thing we try.

In fusion, the surgeon tries to confuse the body’s normal repair process: by removing the outer shell of bone (the cortex) and exposing the inner portion (the cancellous bone) the body is convinced that the spinal elements have been fractured. The normal healing response is triggered as the body seeks to heal the “fractured” parts.

A posterolateral lumbar fusion – an approach from behind - has been used to treat thoracolumbar and lumbar instability caused by fractures, disc degeneration, or spondylolisthesis, and has been used successfully in treating lumbar disc disease and disc-related pain. 

An anterior interbody fusion – an approach through the front - involves growing bone from one vertebral body to the next, around or through a cage placed between the two. There are several variations on these themes. So (third rule) not all fusions are the same: the approach selected depends on what your underlying problem is and what your surgeon hopes to accomplish.

The important point is that, if back pain arises from mechanical instability or specific disc-related problems, a carefully planned and performed fusion can be the best solution for you.

Hear more from Dr. Rob McLain and sign up to receive more information from our Spine and Orthopedic Institute at www.stvincentcharity.com/spine-ortho.

Congratulations to Leslie Koblentz, JD, MD for being named the Mental Health Professional of the Year by the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County! Dr. Koblentz is being recognized for dedicating her career to the public mental health system and her outstanding ability to collaborate with various systems to ensure that people living with mental illness receive the best treatment and recovery supports available.

Dr. Koblentz serves as the Director of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center’s Psychiatric Emergency Department and is also the psychiatrist for the Cuyahoga County Jail.

“The compassionate work of the individuals and programs we will honor is truly inspiring,” remarked Eugenia Cash, Board Chair, as she spoke about the recipients of the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County annual awards. “Their extraordinary contributions are helping children and adults with mental illness and addictions on their path to recovery.”

William M. Denihan, Chief Executive Officer, noted that “The actions of each of our recipients are helping to alleviate the stigma that is still too often associated with mental illness and addictions. Their achievements embody what community treatment and recovery support is all about.” 

The awards will be presented during the ADAMHS Board Annual Meeting & Brunch on Monday, May 18, 2015.

More than 50 of our Caregivers and their families joined together on Sunday, May 3, 2015 to beautify the Campus District, Inc. Together we donated a collective 150 volunteer hours as we cleaned up along East 30th St and Central Ave. Over 2,000 pounds of dirt and debris were cleaned up and hundreds of flowers were planted in the neighborhood.

The cleanup was the first event in our our 150 for our 150^th Community Initiative. As we celebrate our 150^th Anniversary year, the 150 for our 150^th underscores the hospital’s commitment to caregiving with a emphasis on giving.

“To celebrate our 150^th Anniversary, we will be serving our community throughout the year in allotments of 150. It’s our way of saying ‘thank you’ to our dear friend of 150 years, the entire Cleveland community. This initiative honors our tradition as a caregiver committed to bettering downtown Cleveland communities and neighborhoods,” said David  F. Perse, MD, President and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center.

St. Vincent Charity employees and their families worked together to: clean up, re-plant and restore the medians along East 30th Street, a gateway to the Campus District; re-plant the gardens at Marion Sterling Elementary School and Jane Addams High School; collect trash throughout the neighborhood; and paint benches in front of the local library and the community lending library.

Special thanks to our local sponsors of the cleanup, including:  Northeast Ohio Papa John’s Franchisee Co-Op Group, for providing lunch for all volunteers; Heinen’s Grocery Store, Downtown location, for water bottles and snacks throughout the cleanup effort; Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, for use of the Clean & Green trailer equipped with all the tools and supplies needed for the cleanup; Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority's Cedar Extension High Rise, for use of their restrooms and parking the trailer for the day; and The Home Depot West Cleveland, for its generous donation of planting supplies.

Heartfelt thanks also goes to our friends at Wyse Advertising and the Campus District for their help in planning and planting.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its first-ever hospital ratings and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center was one of a handful in Northeast Ohio to achieve a 4-star rating. The highest possible rating is 5 stars, but only 251 of the nation's 3,500 hospitals achieved the highest possible rating, none of those were in Northeast Ohio.

The Hospital Compare star ratings relate to patients’ experience of care at almost 3,500 Medicare-certified acute care hospitals. The ratings are based on data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey (HCAHPS) measures that are included in Hospital Compare. HCAHPS has been in use since 2006 to measure patients’ perspectives of hospital care, and includes topics like:

•           How well nurses and doctors communicated with patients

•           How responsive hospital staff were to patient needs

•           How clean and quiet hospital environments were

•           How well patients were prepared for post-hospital settings

“The patient experience Star Ratings will make it easier for consumers to use the information on the Hospital Compare website and spotlight excellence in health care quality,” said Dr. Patrick Conway, Acting Principal Deputy Administrator for CMS and Deputy Administrator for Innovation and Quality. “These star ratings also encourage hospitals and clinicians to strive to continuously improve the patient experience and quality of care delivered to all patients.”

Modern Healthcare magazine reports on the results in its latest issue. "This speaks to the tremendous effort our caregivers and physicians deliver daily to our patients," said David F. Perse, MD, president and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. "We are proud that our patient satisfaction scores consistently rank above the 80th percentile. That success is built on the efforts of everyone involved in the patient experience."

CLEVELAND, OHIO — (April 14, 2015) — One in five American adults has experienced a mental health issue. One in 20 Americans lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. When a loved one is suffering from depression, dementia, anxiety, bipolar or other mental illnesses, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center offers comprehensive, holistic care that is designed to help patients get back to achieving stability in their lives.

The opening of a 16-bed dedicated geriatric psychiatry unit and addition of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a treatment expands the service that includes psychiatric emergency department, addiction services and experienced licensed staff. “St. Vincent Charity Medical Center has long been a leader in the care of those with mental illness,” said David F. Perse, MD, President and CEO. “These additional services will round out our offerings for those adults on any end of the behavioral health spectrum.”

St. Vincent Charity has cared for older adult patients (age 55 and over) on a unit that is combined with younger adults. However, the needs of those populations are distinct, according to Dr. Boris Royak, medical director of Geriatric Psychiatry. “A large number of patients in this new unit will have some dementia, but they may also have underlying medical conditions,” said Dr. Royak.  “Having a dedicated unit provides a safe level of care for those patients with a greater burden of medical conditions.”

Like other populations, older adults can experience co-occurring psychiatric and medical illnesses. Studies have found that approximately 15 percent of older adults living in community have symptoms of depression with higher rates occurring in medical settings. Treatment of persons 65 and older constitutes a special population as defined by Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services.Mental health care for older adults must be accessible, culturally appropriate and integrated within a system of comprehensive and integrated health services.

This $1.5 million expansion, $1 million of which was funded through donors, addresses a recognized community need for additional behavioral health service capacity. It expands the total number of behavioral health beds (including chemical dependency) to 99. The new unit allows St. Vincent Charity to focus on service offerings, including medical, nursing, social work, recreations and occupational therapy to help older patients improve their level of function.

St. Vincent Charity Development Foundation, the philanthropic arm of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, announces new leadership for 2015. In an effort to strengthen and reposition the Foundation for the 150th anniversary, the new structure will be led by Chief Development Officer Timothy G. O’Callahan and Senior Director of Development Vincent Farinacci. The seasoned team will be complemented by newly elected Board Chair Tim Panzica, LEED-AP and President of IQ Advisors.

O’Callahan joins St. Vincent Charity from The Ohio State University where he served as senior director for regional advancement. Prior to OSU, he served in executive fundraising positions at Case Western Reserve University, Saint Ignatius High School, John Carroll University,

St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo and at Fairview and Lutheran Hospital Foundations. A 1982 graduate of John Carroll University, he was inducted into the JCU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.

In the new Chief Development Officer role, O’Callahan serves as the leader and principle gift officer who is also responsible for managing the St. Vincent Charity Development Foundation staff. “Tim brings to St. Vincent Charity knowledge, experience and energy around major giving that is critical to our efforts moving forward,” said David F. Perse, MD, President and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. “We expect his efforts will complement the work we’ve done to date around our 150th anniversary celebration.”

“I have had the privilege to work for some of the finest and most recognized organizations in Cleveland, and I am thrilled to join St. Vincent Charity Medical Center now in its 150th year,” said O’Callahan. “We live and work in a region blessed with incredible healthcare institutions, none that play the role that St. Vincent Charity does. This city needs us to grow. The Campus District, and our brothers and sisters who live in our immediate neighborhood, need us to thrive. I am committed to share the good news that is St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and invite others to engage in this mission. This community will know that our physician partners, nurses, administration, board and staff, are committed caregivers, each in their own significant way. Faith demands it of us, and I will heartily ask our donors and friends throughout this region to join us in this caring enterprise.”

Joining O’Callahan is Vincent Farinacci, an experienced development professional. Farinacci started his fundraising career at the Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute and worked in a major gifts capacity for both Oberlin College and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He is a graduate of the University of Dayton and has an MBA from Ursuline College.

Representatives from Cuyahoga County Jail and Mental Health Court paid a visit to St. Vincent Charity Medical Center on February 9. At the invitation of Leslie Koblentz, M.D., J.D., medical director of the Psychiatric Emergency Department, the group learned more about the critical community services St. Vincent Charity Medical Center provides for those in the criminal justice system with behavioral health conditions.

"As part of our community engagement initiative, we were pleased to host the Cuyahoga County Mental Health Court Judges and staff for a discussion and tour of our Psychiatric Emergency Department,” said Dr. Koblentz, who also serves as the psychiatrist in Cuyahoga County Jail. “We believe that this visit resulted in a greater understanding of the critical behavioral health need we fill for the public, police, courts and other healthcare providers.”

In addition to a presentation by Dr. Koblentz, the county representatives had a chance to sit down with Dr. David F. Perse, president and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, and tour the facility. Cleveland

Attending from Mental Health Court were following:

Judge Michael Donnelly

Judge Hollie Gallagher

Judge Robert McClelland

Judge Jose Villanueva

Meghan Patton, coordinator of the Mental Health Court program

Attending from Cuyahoga County Jail were the following:

Tom Tallman, M.D., director of correctional medicine

Jeanette Deaver, RN, Nursing Supervisor of Psychiatric Services

Ken Kochevar, director of corrections

Despina Mavrakis, administrator for county jail medical director

Chondra Robinson, RN, Charge Nurse, Mental Health Unit

CLEVELAND, OHIO (January 21, 2015) — St. Vincent Medical Group added a number of new physicians to its ranks in the past year that support key service line growth in the areas of primary care, spine and orthopedics and behavioral health.

Joining the Spine and Orthopedic Institute are James Anderson, M.D., neurosurgery; Bernard Stulberg, MD, orthopedic surgery; and Robert McLain, M.D., orthopedic spine surgery. Dr. Anderson joins St. Vincent Charity from MetroHealth and Drs. Stulberg and McLain from the Cleveland Clinic. George Friedhoff, D.O., joins the institute from a fellowship in sports medicine completed at Ohio Health.

New primary care physicians added to the group are: Ama Paintsil, M.D., internal medicine; and Gary Stabler, M.D., family medicine. Other additions include: Amit Mohan, M.D., psychiatry; Meenu Gaba, M.D., nephrology; Howard Tucker, M.D., neurology; Michael Koch, M.D., cardiology; Robert Steele, M.D., cardiology; Augusto Torres, M.D. and Vijaykumar Vaidya, M.D., general surgery.

“As a physician-led hospital, St. Vincent Charity values the contributions of our physicians to the care of our patients,” said David F. Perse, M.D., president and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and of the St. Vincent Medical Group. “We are pleased to find like-minded physicians who choose to work in an employed model that gives them the flexibility to meet patient needs while also growing their practices.”

St. Vincent Charity also accepts independent physicians to its medical staff. Surgeons both employed and independent have the opportunity to perform surgery at the main campus downtown as well as at our new outpatient surgery center on Rockside Road in Independence.

St. Vincent Medical Group (SVMG) is a multi-specialty physician group affiliated with St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in downtown Cleveland with offices in Beachwood, Euclid, Independence, Mentor, Ohio City, Rocky River, Solon and Westlake. Its team of physicians provides a wide range of primary care and specialty care medical services, including: Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Endocrinology, Family Medicine, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Geriatric Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurosurgery, Oncology, Orthopedic Surgery, Podiatry/Foot and Ankle Surgery and Psychiatry.