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St. Vincent Charity Medical Center announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. The Gold Seal of Approval and the Heart-Check mark are symbolic representations of quality from their respective organizations. 

To earn the recognition, St. Vincent Charity underwent a rigorous onsite review in early February 2016. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care, and performance improvement. 

“St. Vincent Charity has demonstrated an exceptional level of commitment to the care of stroke patients by achieving Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers,” said Wendi Roberts, RN, MS, TNS, CLNC, executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. “We commend them for being a leader in the identification, intervention, and treatment of stroke care for patients. Certified primary stroke centers consistently set a higher standard of care for stroke patients in their communities.”

“We are pleased to receive Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” said Dr. David F. Perse, president and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. “The certification provides us the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide and continually strive to advance even further.” 

Stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, someone dies of a stroke every four minutes, and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

ST. VINCENT CHARITY PODIATRY RESIDENTS STEP OUT WITH CLEVELAND EMS. 

This past October saw a group of St. Vincent Charity podiatry residents participate in ride-alongs with Cleveland Emergency Medical Service (EMS) first responders. Taking part in a total of five shifts meant being first on the scene to medical emergencies in all areas of Cleveland, and gave residents the chance to experience real-life drama where it happens, from residential neighborhoods and apartments, to transitional housing, and even where there are no homes at all, as in the case of the homeless. Depending on their nature and circumstances, some calls even required the accompaniment of Cleveland fire fighters and/or police.

If residents’ responses are any measure, the ride-alongs were insightful and humanizing, affording a newfound appreciation for the hard work involved, and a more complete worldview about what goes on outside of the hospital, in the city of Cleveland and beyond. 

“There were more serious and less serious emergencies, but either way, I’m in awe of the sheer bravery of first responders,” said Erin Younce, postgraduate year three, podiatry resident. “It’s a job for extraordinary people. I’m accustomed to patients coming to me, not vice versa. I now have an entirely new perspective.”

“For me, it was interesting to see where patients are coming from,” said Joshua Fisher, postgraduate year one, podiatry resident. “It lets you realize what some patients are going back to once they leave the walls of St. Vincent Charity, and how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to make our patients’ lives a little better in some way or fashion.”

NEAR-LIFELONG CONNECTION TO ST. VINCENT CHARITY HAS BEEN LIFE-SHAPING EXPERIENCE FOR DOCTOR.

From shadowing hospital physicians as a Cathedral Latin High School student, to meeting his future wife, to attaining his current position as Director of the Division of Anesthesia, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center has been a steady and influential presence in the life of Dr. John Bastulli for more than four decades.

“It feels as though I have always been connected to St. Vincent. I had opportunities to practice at other hospitals, but felt drawn to St. Vincent as the faith-based provider in the city,” Dr. Bastulli said. “The Sisters of Charity truly live their mission to extend the healing hand of Jesus to every individual, irrespective of socioeconomic status. These are not just words, but something that is exemplified in this hospital every day.”

Dr. Bastulli believes that faith-based providers have a growing role with the evolution of health care and rapidly changing reimbursement structures. With greater emphasis on disease prevention and management, health care becomes more complicated for those with limited economic means and a lack of access to primary care. 

“The Sisters and St. Vincent are in lockstep with the changing focus to population health management,” Dr. Bastulli said. “They demonstrate a rock solid commitment to improving the quality of care to all patients and provide all caregivers with the resources necessary to provide quality health care.” 

With that belief as guidance, John and wife Lorene—a St. Vincent Charity Hospital School of Nursing graduate and caregiver until 1987—recently made a generous donation to St. Vincent Charity’s capital campaign. The funds are earmarked for the medical offices on W. 25th Street across from Saint Ignatius High School, a collaborative project between the school and St. Vincent Charity to provide essential health care services to a desperately underserved community. 

“Many people in this neighborhood are of limited economic means and without access to health care services, especially primary care,” said Dr. Bastulli. “This center provides the care the community needs, where the community needs it.”

The collaboration also affords students at the school—which the Bastulli’s sons attended—community outreach service opportunities, not unlike those the doctor himself was blessed with as a high school student.

 “It provides these young men the opportunity to experience how individuals less fortunate than themselves struggle on a daily basis,” Dr. Bastulli said, “and helps raise another generation of health care workers and leaders who are connected to and engaged in the community.”

Dr. Bastulli was recently inducted into the Society of St. Luke for his exemplary service to the hospital and community. The honor recognizes his sense of responsibility, compassion, and steadfast love for the practice of medicine and the sense of community that is fostered through caring for others.

Since joining St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in 1998, Dr. Bastulli has also served as the Medical Director of Surgical Services, he is president of Cleveland Anesthesia Group, and in 2012 was named Physician Director of External Affairs, a role in which he assists the medical center in the areas of physician recruitment, business development, and medical staff affairs, as well as advocating with organizations like the Academy of Medicine of Cleveland & Northern Ohio, the Ohio State Medical Association, and the Ohio General Assembly.

ST. VINCENT CHARITY PODIATRISTS TREAT THE HOMELESS WITH EQUAL PARTS DIGNITY AND HEALTH CARE.

 “Hello, my friend. Come and sit down.” 

For many entering Public Auditorium on a cold Saturday in January, the words are both familiar and welcome. It’s the greeting they hear from the team of doctors, residents, and students from St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, there taking part in the 25th Homeless Stand Down, an annual event held for Cleveland’s homeless.

While the team’s mission is to provide medical care for the feet of the homeless, before the day is over, the greatest gifts they will bestow on many of the 1,500 in attendance are simple compassion and dignity.


 Since the event’s inception in 1990, members of the St. Vincent Charity Department of Podiatry have volunteered to serve at the annual event, where their medical screenings begin with washing the feet of the men, women, and children who come seeking care, food, clothing, and other necessities.

“I am always struck by the image of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, which symbolizes the humility and charity of Christ,” said Dr. Michael Canales, who has assisted with Stand Down for 12 years now.  “As we treat each attendee, it reminds us of our call to service and the need to look at them not only as patients, but as members of the human race.” 

“Beyond the medical treatment we provide,” Dr. Canales continued, “sometimes it is simply respecting the dignity and value of each person, talking to them, and giving them hope that provides the greatest relief.” 

Third-year resident Dr. Erin Younce said taking part in Stand Down helps participants embrace the value of mission-based care.  “It changes our perspective about homeless people,” she said. “Seeing them, treating them, and talking with them opens our minds and gives a better sense of our shared humanity.”

Of course, the event also has practical benefits, providing clinical experience for residents and students, and much-needed care for the homeless. Because they average more than 5 hours per day on their feet, are exposed to the elements, and lack access to adequate socks, shoes, and hygiene facilities, the vast majority of the homeless experience foot or health issues, some of which can be life threatening.  

“The feet are a window into a patient’s health,” Dr. Canales said. “Besides the obvious foot issues, we can also see systemic issues with circulation, peripheral neuropathy, alcoholism, and diabetes. This assessment can often save lives.” 

ST. VINCENT CHARITY MEDICAL CENTER AWARDED ADVANCED CERTIFICATION FOR PRIMARY STROKE CENTERS.

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. The Gold Seal of Approval and the Heart-Check mark are symbolic representations of quality from their respective organizations. 

To earn the recognition, St. Vincent Charity underwent a rigorous onsite review in early February 2016. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care, and performance improvement. 

“St. Vincent Charity has demonstrated an exceptional level of commitment to the care of stroke patients by achieving Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers,” said Wendi Roberts, RN, MS, TNS, CLNC, executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. “We commend them for being a leader in the identification, intervention, and treatment of stroke care for patients. Certified primary stroke centers consistently set a higher standard of care for stroke patients in their communities.”

 “We are pleased to receive Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” said Dr. David F. Perse, president and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. “The certification provides us the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide and continually strive to advance even further.” 

Stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, someone dies of a stroke every four minutes, and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

A group of St. Vincent Charity podiatry residents recently participated in a ride-along for five total Cleveland Emergency Medical Service (EMS) shifts. This meant participating in the first response to medical emergencies in all areas of Cleveland. The exposure allowed the residents to appreciate the hard work put in for all members of the entire medical community. As their shifts unfolded, the residents experienced emergencies in residential neighborhoods, with the homeless, in apartments and even transitional housing. Some calls needed the accompaniment of Cleveland Fire Fighters and/or Cleveland Police.

“There were both serious and less serious emergencies, but nonetheless I am in awe of the sheer bravery of the first responders,” said Erin Younce, PGY3 podiatry resident. “It’s certainly a job that’s reserved for extraordinary people. I’m accustomed to a position where the patients come to me, not vice versa. I now have an entirely new perspective.”

“For me personally it was interesting to see where some of the patients were coming from,” said Joshua Fisher, PGY1 podiatry resident. “It allows you to realize what some patients are going back to once they leave the walls of St. Vincent Charity. We really are fortunate to have the opportunity to make our patient’s lives a little better in some way or fashion and, for me, that’s what drives me through my day.”

The rides were a wonderful experience for the residents and a chance to gain a whole new sense of humanity and worldview about what goes on outside the hospital, in the city of Cleveland and beyond.

BLESSING OF A SCHOLARSHIP COMES FULL CIRCLE FOR CATHOLIC-BORN IMMIGRANT-TURNED-LAWYER.

Leaving Hong Kong, where her parents fled the Communist takeover of China, Margaret Wong came to the United States in 1969 on a student visa. The blessing of a full scholarship to attend Ottumwa Heights, a Catholic all-girls junior college in Iowa, subsequently led to a law degree from the University of Buffalo, and paved the way for Margaret’s rise to prominence here and abroad as a specialist in immigration and nationality law. 

Fast-forward 35 years and Margaret W. Wong & Associates employees 60 in seven offices around the county, and Margaret herself has earned numerous awards, including the Margaret Ireland Award from the Cleveland Women’s City Club and being named to Crain’s Cleveland Business “Women of Influence” list.
  
So when Sister Judith Ann Karam, then president and CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System, came to Margaret in 2011 about serving on the St. Vincent Charity Development Foundation Board, Margaret knew it was time to give back to the faith community that was there for her from the beginning. It was a connection made even more fitting because Sister Judith Ann had served as a mentor to Margaret’s late husband, Kam Chan, as he established his pharmacy practice.
 
Working with the Foundation, Margaret quickly learned what St. Vincent Charity and “Care Beyond Medicine” means to the community and the people it serves. “St. Vincent gives such great care. It is different from other hospitals for how they treat patients and families,” she said. “People are always friendly, even when you walk the halls. Nurses and staff are talking to each other, always smiling and saying hello. That makes a difference to patients and their loved ones.”
 
Because of her belief in St. Vincent Charity’s mission in the community and excellence in care, Margaret recently committed $250,000 to the Foundation’s campaign, which she sees as providing a golden opportunity to share what she calls “Cleveland’s best-kept secret in health care.”

 “We are the best in orthopedics, bariatrics and mental health. But sometimes, as a Catholic institution, we are humble. We don’t want to brag about ourselves,” Margaret said. “However… we need more people to know us and talk about us. This campaign allows us to better brand ourselves. It is the perfect opportunity to tell our story.”

ST. VINCENT CHARITY CEO: “IT’S VALIDATION OF THE QUALITY OUTCOMES OF OUR BARIATRIC PROGRAM.” 

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center has been selected as the first hospital in the country to participate in the Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) Employers Centers of Excellence Network (ECEN) for bariatric surgery. PBGH is a non-profit business coalition that represents 60 large health care purchaser members with more than 10 million employees, retirees and dependents. 

With this contract, St. Vincent Charity will provide weight loss surgery for large national employers, whose covered members will be eligible to receive bariatric surgery through a travel surgery program that includes pre- and post-op services covered through a negotiated bundle payment arrangement.

The agreement took effect January 1, 2016, following a competitive nationwide assessment and selection process. “Our selection is validation of the quality outcomes of our bariatric program,” says Dr. David F. Perse, president and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. “Since 1997, St. Vincent Charity has performed more than 7,000 bariatric surgeries. Our success rate is high because our patients are well prepared for the surgery,” he added.

In choosing St. Vincent Charity, PBGH noted the medical center’s clinical expertise and quality, willingness to be a partner and collaborator, commitment to a tailored patient experience, and central location in Northeast Ohio, as well as flexibility and expediency in negotiating comprehensive bundled arrangements. 

Olivia Ross, Associate Director of ECEN shared her enthusiasm, saying, “We are pleased to have St. Vincent Charity join the Employers Centers of Excellence Network. We look for nationally recognized, high-quality providers who are eager to pioneer innovative health care delivery and payment models. The ECEN leverages provider collaboration to develop evidence-based, patient-centric programs to improve outcomes, increase satisfaction, and optimize employer value.”
 
Nationally, more than one-third of the adult population is considered obese (BMI of 30 or greater). With more than 40 obesity-associated diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer, health care costs are upwards of $150 billion per year. Bariatric surgery is an option for those with severe or morbid obesity who have not had success with conventional weight loss methods.

FOR CLEVELAND’S EMTS, NO AMBULANCE DIVERSIONS WILL BE WELCOME.

When East Cleveland EMS head medic Anthony Savoy is on a run, he follows protocol and calls ahead to the closest hospital emergency department to make sure they have the space and staff to take the patient. If they don’t, the common practice has been for that hospital to go on diversion, meaning the squad must divert to another hospital that does have the capacity.

“If we get diverted and then we get a call while we’re at the hospital, our response time will be lengthened by maybe a minute, maybe two minutes,” Savoy says.

That may not sound like much, but Dr. James Feldman, an emergency medicine practitioner and researcher in Boston, says that minute or two – or what he calls time to treatment – really matters for some patients.

“I think we have strong evidence that people who have critical illness or injury who have a delayed time to treatment, do worse,” Feldman says.

One 2011 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that lengthy periods of diversion were associated with higher mortality rates among patients with time-sensitive conditions, such as heart attacks. 

Yet, emergency departments across the country, including those in Cleveland, continued the practice. It was not uncommon for some emergency departments to accumulate hundreds of hours of diversion time annually. Now, though, Cleveland’s hospital leaders have negotiated a verbal agreement to stop going on diversion by February 15 of this year.

But even as other area hospitals look into adding beds and staff to stop diversions now and in the future, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center chief nursing executive Bev Lozar says the downtown hospital hasn’t gone on diversion since 2012.
 
It’s just one more example of Care Beyond Medicine™ at St. Vincent Charity, where “It’s a matter of working together as a team,” Lozar says. “It starts every morning—we have a huddle of all the nursing directors and other clinical and support directors to review the day.”

On a recent Thursday morning, nearly 20 people, ranging from intensive care staff to the facilities leader, are present. Lozar pulls out a spreadsheet and points: “This is the kind of score sheet we start with.” The title at the top reads “Bed Report, Date 12/10/15, Census: 161.”

“It shows the various units, their capacity, and the census; who we expect to go home, who we expect to come in. It helps us start the plan.”

Ultimately, these kinds of operations meetings and communications drive staff to address efficiencies throughout the day and not use diversion as a crutch. To the benefit of all.

Referring to a study of Massachusetts’ 2009 regulations banning ambulance diversions, Dr. Feldman came to this conclusion: “Overwhelmingly, people have felt that this was a positive experience both for patients, the EMS system, and actually the emergency department staff as well.”

WORLD-CLASS ATHLETE FINDS WORLD-CLASS SURGEON RIGHT IN HIS OWN BACK YARD.

When, in the heat of competition, world-class CrossFit athlete Scott Panchik dropped into a sand dune and felt the pain, he knew something was wrong. 

“It was really painful. I finished the event, but it was one of the hardest weekends of my life. I made it back, but each day it got worse. When I got home, I found out I had a partially ruptured plantar fascia,” the CrossFit star said.

CrossFit is promoted as both an exercise philosophy and a competitive fitness sport, incorporating elements from high-intensity interval training, Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics (jump training), power lifting, gymnastics, girevoy (or kettle bell) sport, calisthenics, Strongman training, and other exercises.

So recently, when Panchik “tweaked” something while training, but didn’t take time off from the required strenuous training to heal properly, he ended up developing plantar fasciitis. And that day in the sand dune? That was the plantar fascia rupturing.

When the world-class athlete from Mentor, Ohio looked around at his treatment options, he realized it wasn’t necessary that he go to one coast or the other, but just down the road to Cleveland and the St. Vincent Charity Medical Center.

That’s where he found Dr. Michael Canales. Not only is Dr. Canales a practicing foot and ankle surgeon, he was also a gymnast at Ohio State University from 1996-1999, where he was a member of the 1996 NCAA championship team, as well as several Big 10 championship teams. 

Canales has since mentored and coached several Olympians and continues to provide mentorship to the OSU men’s gymnastics program today. So it logically follows that if anyone was going to understand not only the injury, but the mentality of the championship-level athlete, it was Dr. Canales.

But it was when Panchik saw an Instagram picture of Dr. Canales doing a split in the operating room on National Gymnastics Day, he knew he had found his doctor.

“That’s the guy you want working on you,” said Panchik. “He did a great job.”

“Hello, my friend. Come and sit down,” is the familiar greeting many of Cleveland’s homeless hear from the 10-member team of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center physicians, residents and students, participating in Saturday’s 25^th Homeless Stand Down. The team is there to provide care for the primary of mode of transportation for the homeless—their feet—however, the greatest gift they give the 1,500 attendees is dignity.

 Since the inception of the Stand Down in 1990, members of the St. Vincent Charity’s Department of Podiatry have volunteered to serve and provide medical screenings at the annual event for Cleveland’s homeless. The screenings begin with the washing of the feet of the men, women and children who come to Public Auditorium seeking medical care, food, clothing, respite and other necessities.

“As a Catholic, mission-driven hospital, I am always struck as I begin to care for each attendee of the image of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, which symbolizes the humility and charity of Christ,” said Dr. Michael Canales.  “As we treat each attendee, this image reminds us of our call to service and the need to look at them not only as patients, but as members of the human race.”

The Stand Down falls at a time for many of Cleveland’s homeless that marks the lowest point of the year.  The Christmas season, which provides many opportunities for meals and assistance, is over and the season’s worst weather is upon Northeast Ohio.  “We stand in the gap of services for a lot of people.  Beyond the medical treatment we provide, sometimes it is simply respecting the dignity and value of each person, talking to them, giving them hope that provides the greatest relief,” said Dr. Canales, who has assisted with the Stand Down for 12 years.

Dr. Canales’ most striking memory from the Stand Down was a young woman who was homeless as the result of an abusive relationship.  The woman shared with Dr. Canales how lonely she was after the holidays and her daily struggles moving from shelter to shelter. 

“We saw her at her darkest hour.  While she did not necessarily need medical treatment, I talked with her for about 15 minutes, just as another person, trying to give her strength and hope.  I gave her my card as she left in case she needed anything in the future” Canales said. 

Several years later, the woman returned to St. Vincent Charity, still with his card in hand, seeking medical treatment.  “She expressed how life-changing our conversation was.  Since we met, she had turned her life around and was literally back on her feet.  Simply extending the hand of humanity helped her change her life.  It was uplifting at both ends – for her and for me,” he said.

Third-year resident Dr. Erin Younce, who assisted Saturday with the event for her third year, said participation in the Stand Down is an important element of their medical training and education, helping them to embrace the value of mission-based care.  “Participating in the Stand Down changes our perspective about homeless people.  There are many misperceptions, but these are simply men, women and families who often still have jobs, but just don’t earn enough to have a place to live. Seeing them, treating them and talking with them opens our minds and gives a better sense of humanity,” she said.

In addition, the event provides practical clinical experience for the residents and students.  Due to the time the homeless spend on their feet – on average more than 5 hours per day - their exposure to the elements and lack of access to adequate socks, shoes and hygiene facilities, the vast majority experience some form of foot and health issues, many of which are life threatening. 

“The feet are a window into a patient’s health.  We can quickly see the obvious foot issues, such as an infection or fracture that causes immediate distress.  However, by looking at the feet we can also see systemic issues such as peripheral neuropathy, alcoholism, circulation, diabetes, that we can refer them for further care at local clinics and, in some cases, the ER for treatment.  This assessment can often save their lives,” Dr. Canales said.

In October 2015, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center concluded it's yearlong 150th anniversary celebration. We celebrated and honored our history and looked ahead at St. Vincent Charity's future in the city of Cleveland. Here's a look back at the year—by the numbers!

• 10 anniversary events over 18 months
• 2, 500 total attendees at all anniversary events
• $1.7 million raised during our anniversary celebration in support of our mission
  
• 745 #STV150 mentions on social media
  
• 5 ice sculptures
• 7 tiers on the anniversary cake
• 1 minute and 50 seconds of fireworks
• 1,500 feet of confetti streamers
• 4 local bands
• Thousands of giveaways for patients, caregivers and friends of St. Vincent Charity
• Over 200 community partners
• 150 volunteer hours in the campus district community
• 2, 000 hours spent planning and executing over 24 months
• Number of people planning and executing: 2
• 1,200 caregivers living the mission each day
  
• 1 Incredible anniversary year!

CLEVELAND, Jan. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- St. Vincent Charity Medical Center has been selected as the first hospital in the country to participate in the Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) Employers Centers of Excellence Network for bariatric surgery. Through this contract, St. Vincent Charity will provide weight loss surgery for large national employers, through a prospective bundled payment arrangement.

The agreement took effect January 1, 2016. The selection was made in September 2015, following a competitive nationwide center assessment and selection process. Under PBGH's Employers Centers of Excellence Network (ECEN), covered members of participating employers will be eligible to receive bariatric surgery through a travel surgery program that includes their pre- and post-op services covered through the negotiated bundle payment model.

"Our selection is validation of the quality outcomes of our bariatric program," said Dr. David F. Perse, president and CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. "Since 1997, St. Vincent Charity has performed more than 7,000 bariatric surgeries. Our success rate is high because our patients are well prepared for the surgery. This is an opportunity for us to help more patients and to improve the health of a wider population," said Perse.

In choosing St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, PBGH noted St. Vincent Charity's clinical expertise and quality, willingness to be a partner and collaborator, commitment to a tailored patient experience, central location in Northeast Ohio, as well as their flexibility and expediency in negotiating comprehensive bundled arrangements. Olivia Ross, Associate Director of the ECEN shared her enthusiasm, "We are pleased to have St. Vincent Charity join the Employers Centers of Excellence Network. We look for nationally recognized, high-quality providers who are eager to pioneer innovative healthcare delivery and payment models. The ECEN leverages provider collaboration to develop evidence-based, patient-centric programs to improve outcomes, increase satisfaction and optimize employer value."

Nationally, more than one-third of the adult population is considered obese (BMI of 30 or greater). With more than 40 obesity associated diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer, the healthcare costs are upwards of $150 billion per year. Bariatric surgery is an option for those with severe or morbid obesity who have not been successful with conventional weight loss methods.

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.

The Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) is a non-profit business coalition focused on improving the quality and affordability of health care. PBGH represents 60 large health care purchaser members with more than 10 million employees, retirees and dependents. www.pbgh.org @pbgh_updates

AS A HEART PATIENT, WILLIAM NEEDED EXPERTS THAT ENSURED HIS SPINE SURGERY WAS WORTH THE RISK.

Anytime you lie down for surgery, you need to have trust in the people working above you. You wouldn’t have trouble convincing William Courser about the power of trust. When he realized his spinal condition was forcing him to teach his lessons at Stark State University from a chair, the anatomy professor needed to find advice he could trust—and clear advice looked like it could be hard to find.

One physician group looked at his MRI and told him they could do little for him, but if something were not done soon, he would never walk again. At the same time, Courser’s cardiologist was concerned about the risk of surgery. In addition to a past spinal surgery, Courser already had two heart attacks and open-heart surgery under his belt. The consensus from his doctors was that Courser should seek out Dr. Louis Keppler and his team at the Spine and Orthopedic Institute at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center.

Even in the moments just before he met Dr. Keppler, Courser saw trust in St. Vincent Charity. "Patients were saying great things," Courser says. "One couple came all the way from Toledo."

For Dr. Keppler’s part he too found Courser’s situation challenging. 

“It was difficult because of his previous surgery there were all sorts of scars around the nerves, so we had to separate the nerves from the scars and then remove the bone, so that we could create a hinge to straighten him out," explains Dr. Keppler.

Dr. Keppler had an answer to the challenge that gave him satisfaction. Using a technique that his mentor Dr. Art Steffee had pioneered at St. Vincent Charity decades ago, Courser emerged from the procedure with excellent results. 

"As soon as I woke up from the anesthesia, the pain in my legs was gone.” 

Where walking was once a question, it is now part of his rehabilitation program and Dr. Keppler sees Courser as just the latest example of how many more of his patients are finding orthopedic solutions to extend their quality of life well into their golden years.

“68 is young now," Keppler says. "We're doing spinal reconstruction on people in their 80s because they want to stay active."

ST. VINCENT CHARITY MEDICAL CENTER CEO: “WHO KNOWS WHAT THIS WILL BRING. BUT WE’LL BE READY.”

Regardless of your political persuasion, it’s an honor for a city to be chosen as the launch pad for a presidential campaign. In choosing Cleveland for the 2016 Republican National Convention, it meant that organizers had to trust the city’s infrastructure, capabilities, hospitality and people. 

As the already dynamic 2016 election unfolds, one thing is for certain—there will be more eyes on Cleveland than can be recently remembered. By the time you read these words, there is already speculation that the GOP’s candidate may be chosen via a brokered convention at the Quicken Loans Arena—a historical phenomenon that last occurred in 1952, when the Democrats elected Adlai Stevenson at their own heated convention.

St. Vincent Charity CEO Dr. David Perse recognizes the trust that so many have placed in our city to host this pivotal event—and for Dr. Perse, that trust means getting ready now.

“We’re just trying to be prepared for whatever comes,” Dr. Perse said.

Dr. Perse notes that St. Vincent Charity may have more of a test, as the downtown medical center is the closest facility to the heart of convention events.

In this era of tightened security, Dr. Perse and his team have to plan to be ready for catastrophic events but also for more routine services that come with an influx of thousands to the city. This means everything from heart attacks to asthma treatments.

For his part, Dr. Perse believes being ready starts with ensuring you have a full team standing by.

“We have already given notice to our employees that during the week of the convention, we're suspending our paid time off scheduling during that period."

Dr. Perse and the extended team at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center are proud of our city—and for whatever the occasion, we will be ready to do our part to show the world why.

ZYDRUNAS ILGAUSKAS TRIED TO IGNORE THE WOUND ON THE BOTTOM OF HIS RIGHT FOOT. FOR SIX MONTHS.

“When you’re a professional athlete, you have access to the best medical care every day,’’ said the beloved former Cleveland Cavaliers center. “When you’re retired, you’re kind of on your own. I figured it would heal.’’

Sometimes even a little nagging can be annoying. But Ilgauskas was fortunate that the naggers-in-chief were his caring wife Jennifer and a neighbor who just happened to be Dr. Louis Keppler, who knew a little bit about foot pain as the Co-director of The Spine and Orthopedic Institute at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center.

Ilgauskas gave in just in time. An MRI showed he had developed a serious infection.

Dr. Michael Canales, a foot and ankle surgeon at the institute, performed surgery immediately to flush out the infection for the Cleveland sports legend.
 
With the number of surgical interventions Ilgauskas had endured during his NBA career, there was also nerve damage. Following successful surgery, the aggressive treatment continued five times a week with hyperbaric oxygen treatment.
 
St. Vincent Charity Medical Center opened Cleveland’s first Hyperbaric Medical Center in 1993. The chambers deliver 100 percent oxygen to the body, encouraging the development of new capillaries that transfer blood and oxygen to damaged tissues, promoting healing of wounds and improving infection control.
 
Though Ilgauskas, a two-time All-Star who had five surgeries on his feet at the beginning of his 13-year NBA career, said he had never been in a hyperbaric treatment chamber.
 
“The doctors and staff were unbelievably professional and helpful throughout the whole process. They made it as easy as possible for me to get in and out. I can’t say enough about them, from start to finish.
  
In one of many acts of class in their service to our community, the Ilgauskas family recently made a generous donation to the St. Vincent Charity Development Foundation. The funds will be used to help implement the hospital’s five-year strategic plan to renovate and expand facilities in an effort to further enhance patient care. The 7-foot-3 Ilgauskas says he’s nearly 100 percent recovered and ready to take on his new position as a volunteer basketball coach for Saint Ignatius High School. Thanks to his wife and two caring doctors, he will not be lugging his nearly six-foot crutches to practice.

If you know someone who is putting off getting the advice of a medical expert, don’t be afraid to speak up and point the way—more often than not, they’ll be thankful you were looking out for them.

FOUNDATION’S GIFT RECOGNIZES ST. VINCENT CHARITY MEDICAL CENTER’S LEADERSHIP IN MENTAL HEALTH.

The Cleveland Foundation recently announced a gift of $125,000 to invest in building St. Vincent Charity’s Behavioral Health services into a Center of Excellence. This strategic plan allows our hospital to deliver a full continuum of comprehensive adult psychiatric services. 

As the CEO of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, Dr. David Perse feels that this initiative builds on momentum that his organization has already established and also helps ensure that the future behavioral needs of the greater Cleveland community are met.

“We are blessed at St. Vincent Charity with one of the best behavioral health programs in the country,” said Perse. 

“With one of only six psychiatric emergency departments in the United States, we draw from hospitals and law enforcement throughout the region. These funds will help us meet the growing need for mental health services in our community caused, in part, by the alarming rise of heroin and synthetic drug use at a time when mental health beds are in short supply.”

The Cleveland Foundation funds will be used for:

• Expansion of the Crisis Intervention Specialist in the Psychiatric Emergency Department (PED). St. Vincent Charity partners with FrontLine Service, Inc. to provide treatment planning and coordination of care. Awarded funds now allow St. Vincent Charity to expand coverage to include evenings and weekends by adding an additional full-time Crisis Intervention Specialist from FrontLine Services.

• Hiring a board-certified Art Therapist and Music Therapist as part of the Creative Arts Therapy Program. The Art and Music Therapists will work with the inpatient geropsych, general adult psychiatric inpatients, partial hospitalization program participants, Rosary Hall’s detox unit and Intensive Outpatient Program.

• Rosary Hall Recovery Coach Expansion. This will help ensure a Recovery Coach is on the floor 24 hours. These additional hours will help reduce the number of individuals leaving detoxification against medical advice and contribute to region-wide efforts to reduce the impact of chemical dependency.

On November 7, 2015, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center inducted four of its physicians into the Society of St. Luke. These physicians exemplify the highest standards of patient care, research and community activities.

Inducted into the Society, founded in 2004, were Dr. John A. Bastulli, division chief of anesthesiology; Dr. Audley Mackel, division chief of orthopedics; Dr. John Marshall, retired gastroenterologist; and Dr. Carla O’Day, chair of the Emergency Medicine at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center.

“These physicians share a sense of responsibility and compassion for the practice of medicine and the sense of community that is fostered through caring for others,” said Dr. David F. Perse, president and CEO. “They have seen dramatic changes to healthcare since they began their careers—some positive and revolutionary and some disruptive and unsettling. In spite of those changes, they have never lost track of why we exist—to help, to heal and to serve our patients.”

The four physicians join the 27 others who preceded them, including legendary physicians such as Dr. Earl B. Kaye, who performed the first open-heart surgery in the Midwest at St. Vincent Charity in 1956.

The Society of St. Luke was established to recognize and honor members of the St. Vincent Charity Medical Staff for their distinguished service to their patients, the mission and the communities we serve. As a physician and author of one of the four Gospels, St. Luke emphasized Jesus’ concern for humanity and wrote of the Lord’s many miracles of healing. He is the patron saint of physicians.

    Dr. Audley Mackel              Dr. John Bastulli           Dr. Carla Streep O'Day         Dr. John Marshall

   Orthopedic Surgeon             Anesthesiology             Emergency Medicine           Gastroenterology