St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and Sisters of Charity Health System leaders joined an event to launch the NEOMED-CSU Partnership Health Care Education and Urban Primary Care Initiative yesterday at Cleveland State University. [More]

Two St. Vincent Charity Medical Center physicians will be honored at the Academy of Medicine of Cleveland & Northern Ohio (AMCNO) Annual Meeting Dinner and Awards Presentation on Friday, April 27 at the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland. Louis Keppler, M.D., co-director of St. Vincent Charity’s Spine and Orthopedic Institute, will receive the 2012 Clinician of the Year designation for his long-time devotion and service to his patients.  The award was given in recognition that “Dr. Keppler exemplifies the highest ideals and ethics of the medical profession.” At this same event, the academy’s foundation, the Academy of Medicine Education Foundation (AMEF), will bestow its inaugural AMEF Philanthropy Award on John Bastulli, M.D., St. Vincent Charity’s president of medical staff. He will be recognized for his “unparalleled commitment to the AMEF” and for his work as an outstanding fundraiser. It was through Dr. Bastulli’s vision and leadership that the AMEF launched the Marissa Rose Biddlestone Memorial Golf outing, which has become one of the major fundraising events for the foundation. The AMEF will present six local medical students with scholarships worth $5,000 each at the dinner.

The Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) recently named Mercy Medical Center as the recipient of the 2012 John Chapman Award for demonstrating exceptional environmental stewardship. Mercy was also one of 10 Ohio hospitals that received the 2012 Melvin Creeley Environmental Leadership Award. OHA’s Environmental Leadership Council selected Mercy to receive the John Chapman Award from a group of 10 Melvin Creeley Environmental Leadership Award honorees who are recognized for promoting sound environmental practices through environmental stewardship and exemplifying the best practices for other hospitals to follow. The John Chapman Award recognizes a hospital or health system that has shown excellence in initiating or supporting pollution prevention programs. Results of Mercy’s focus on energy conservation, recycling, buying green and building green have been realized across the hospital. For three years in a row, Mercy has earned the U.S. EPA’s prestigious ENERGY STAR award, the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. Mercy recycled more than 51 tons of non-hazardous waste material in 2011 and thousands of light bulbs and batteries, plus Mercy recycles 10 to 15 tons of cardboard monthly. Mercy’s energy conservation efforts from 2009-2011 have yielded savings of nearly $2.7 million through reductions in electricity, water and natural gas consumption. Mercy will receive the John Chapman Award on June 12 during the OHA Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio.

In a novel pilot in South Carolina, leaders from Providence Hospitals and other area hospitals are working with insurance executives, church volunteers, Medicaid officials and others to learn if a grassroots campaign can improve the health of residents in ZIP code 29203, which is one of the poorest areas of the state. Using principles of community activism that have proven successful in organizing farm workers and electing government officials, the South Carolina Organizing for Health project is engaging community leaders and citizens to identify unique approaches to improving population health. After the project launches on March 3, about 300 volunteer organizers will begin helping individuals, groups and neighborhoods in 29203 develop wellness programs and other health-oriented initiatives. Read more about it on the Healthcare Financial Mangement Association website.

Providence Hospitals opened a new family practice in Lexington County, South Carolina. With the opening of Family Medicine Lexington, Wayne Black, M.D. and Hance Oliver, M.D., join Providence Hospitals, representing more than 50 years of experience serving the health care needs of families in the Midlands of South Carolina. The practice will provide a variety of services to patients from pediatric to geriatric. Read the complete press release here.  

St. John Medical Center (SJMC) is pleased to announce the appointment of William A. Young Jr. as President and CEO of SJMC. The announcement was made by Ronald W. Dees, Chairman of the Board of Directors for SJMC which is co-owned by the Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals (UH). Mr. Young will begin his new role by December 31, 2011. More...

As a complement to a recent story about all area health systems’ community benefit contributions, which noted the Sisters of Charity Health System's collective annual community benefit of $54.6 million, The Plain Dealer has highlighted St. Vincent Charity Medical Center’s prescription assistance program. More...

The Sisters of Charity Health System is taking a significant step into the future of patient care in Ohio by committing three of its medical centers to join the statewide health information exchange. Plans now will begin for St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, St. John Medical Center and Mercy Medical Center to connect electronically to other Ohio physicians, hospitals, labs and health care entities. The projected timeline for implementation for St. Vincent Charity and St. John is the summer of 2012, and for Mercy Medical Center, the fall of 2012. More...

Thomson Reuters recently released its annual study identifying the top U.S. hospitals for inpatient cardiovascular services. The study, in its thirteenth year, singled out 50 hospitals that achieved superior clinical outcomes, including Mercy Medical Center, which is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System. More...

More than $45 million in improvements at St. John Medical Center (SJMC) have received final approval from the hospital's board of directors, paving way for implementation of Phases 1 and 2 of the hospital's modernization plan. Phases 3 and 4 will cost an additional $6.4 million which still needs approval by the board of trustees. More...