The MetroHealth System (Cleveland, OH)

The MetroHealth System is partnering with the brand-new Health Assurance Foundation to reshape and advance the future of healthcare delivery, beginning with development and expansion of best practice standards for Community Health Workers (CHWs). As trusted members of their communities, CHWs improve cultural competence and quality of service delivery through coordinating care with healthcare providers, improving access to community-based services, addressing the social drivers of health and providing health education.

Vanessa Maier, MD, MPH, was recently inducted into the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame at Cleveland Heights-University Heights High School. Dr. Maier, a 1991 graduate, is strongly connected to her alma mater. In addition to seeing patients in her primary care clinic at MetroHealth Beachwood Health Center, she serves as the Medical Director of the MetroHealth School Health Program and provides care at the Heights Wellness Center in Cleveland Heights-University Heights High School. Dr. Maier, a Family Medicine physician, joined MetroHealth in 2015. "Humility, grace, the ability to freely give compassion, to see goodness in ourselves and others, to accept and receive unmerited forgiveness – these are hard lessons to learn," Dr. Maier said. "But my experience at Heights gave me a solid foundation in these lessons, offering the richness of diversity, the power of kindness and the aspiration to follow a path of learning and service. Heights profoundly influenced my journey, and it is an immeasurable honor to be inducted into the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame." Founded in 2013 by Christine Alexander-Rager, MD, and now within the Institute for H.O.P.E., the School Health Program works collaboratively with local school districts to increase access to health services. Through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the program, in collaboration with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District, received nearly $4.5 million to renovate facilities and expand access to services. In 2022, the program received America's Essential Hospitals prestigious Gage Award in recognition of "creative and successful programs that improve patient care and serve community needs." In her role as Medical Director, Dr. Maier provides leadership for the School Health Program and is actively involved in research to understand best practices in school-based health. She currently serves as co-investigator on a Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio study to evaluate factors associated with absenteeism in students with asthma. Dr. Maier also has a strong interest in teaching. She serves as Director of the Advocacy and Public Health Pathway at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and received the prestigious Kaiser Permanente Excellence in Teaching Award in 2023 for inspiring students to lead careers that exemplify medicine's most enduring values.

The MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute has been named a Rehabilitation Innovation Center by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. MetroHealth is among only 15 rehabilitation centers in the country – and one of two in Ohio – recognized by the Department of Health and Human Services for providing inpatient care for individuals with highly complex medical conditions; conducting multidisciplinary rehabilitation research; and recognition for excellence in education. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gYHDtf67

Last Thursday, State Rep. Adam Holmes from Muskingum County visited our Valley View mail-order pharmacy and Bedford neighborhood clinic to learn more about the importance of the 340B program to super safety-net health systems like MetroHealth and the patients and communities we serve. Members from the pharmacy leadership team led the tour. MetroHealth stands behind Rep. Holmes, State Rep. Marilyn John and State Sen. Bob Hackett in their efforts to pass important legislation that will protect access to the 340B program for safety-net providers.

Is a criminal record holding you back? Join us for an expungement clinic on Saturday, October 5, and learn about the numerous opportunities and community resources available to you. Please note that violent felonies, sexual offenses, traffic offenses and DUI/OVI charges cannot be expunged. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g5YTRnqB

Last week we were proud to join the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and other community partners in welcoming Tom Perez, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, for a tour of the food bank's Community Resource Center. During his visit, Mr. Perez had the opportunity to meet with caregivers from our Collinwood Health Center located within the Community Resource Center. The health center, which offers primary care services, immunizations, dental services, telemedicine and more, is just one way we're ensuring members of our community have access to equitable, quality healthcare.

We are proud to announce that Michelle Dietz, MD, as been appointed Chair of Geriatric Medicine. Dr. Dietz, a 21-year veteran of the health system, takes over for James Campbell, MD, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Dr. Dietz has spent her entire professional career at MetroHealth, having completed both an Internal Medicine residency and Geriatric Medicine fellowship at the System. Today, she serves as Program Director for the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program as well as the Inpatient Consulting Physician in Geriatrics and Palliative Care. Previously, she served as Medical Director for MetroHealth's former skilled nursing operations. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gFDrnZeF

A groundbreaking collaborative project that will address health inequities in Cleveland has just received a major grant. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Minority Health has given a $2.4 million grant to Western Reserve Land Conservancy for the "Restoring Health Equity and Resilience to Cleveland Through Vacant Land Improvements" project. The project, developed in collaboration with population health researchers from The MetroHealth System and Cleveland Clinic, targets four Cleveland neighborhoods: Buckeye-Woodhill, Hough, St. Clair-Superior, and Glenville. These communities, historically impacted by environmental and social disinvestment, will benefit from comprehensive strategies designed to improve key Social Determinants of Health. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/geuiPPFq

Is a criminal record holding you back? Join us for an expungement clinic on Saturday, October 5, and learn about the numerous opportunities and community resources available to you. Please note that violent felonies, sexual offenses, traffic offenses and DUI/OVI charges cannot be expunged. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g5YTRnqB

Black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer. That's why we're proud to support a free screening of The Black Walnut, a docudrama that explores the alarming disparity of prostate cancer among African American men. A panel discussion featuring Carvell Nguyen, MD, will take place at the end of the screening. The event is free and open to all, but registration is required. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gBYvMDJZ