University Hospitals of Cleveland
Institutional Relations & Development
11100 Euclid Avenue, MCCO-5062
Cleveland, OH 44106
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
FALL 2012 ISSUE 3
PAID
Cleveland, OH
Permit No 412
216-983-2200
UH Voices
A publication featuring the stories of the physicians and employees of University Hospitals
A debt of gratitude
“We’re losing him.” These are the words Reverend Harry Werner heard as he was being rushed by the Code Blue
team to the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory on the University Hospitals Case Medical Center campus.
ENT Institute physicians honor Dr. James Arnold
A group of University Hospitals Ear, Nose & Throat Institute physicians has contributed
nearly $100,000 in support to the Discover the Difference Physician & Employee
Campaign to establish the James E. Arnold, MD, Lectureship in Pediatric
Otolaryngology. The gift has been made in honor of the longtime chair of the
Department of Otolaryngology who retired from the leadership role earlier this year.
Dr. Arnold has since returned to the full-time practice of pediatric otolaryngology.
Jeans Day program drives
campaign participation
Convinced it was a mild case of indigestion, Harry
tried to continue his day. But soon, the left side of
his jaw began to tingle and go numb. “I knew then
I was in terrible trouble,” Harry recalled. “I asked
the pastoral care assistant, Marlo (Morris) to call the
Emergency Department and to tell them I was having
a heart attack.”
“We wanted to honor Jim for his remarkable service to our department, to his patients and
the hundreds of residents, fellows and medical students he has trained over the course of
his career,” said Dr. Cliff Megerian, current chair of the Department of Otolaryngology and
director of the University Hospitals Ear, Nose & Throat Institute. “Jim’s tenure was defined
by an extraordinary ability to inspire residents and medical students to become the very best
physicians they could be.”
The James E. Arnold, MD, Lectureship in Pediatric Otolaryngology will enable the institute to
recruit thought leaders in the field of ENT medicine to discuss the latest advances in research
and clinical care at the ENT Annual Residents Research Day. Once the fund reaches $100,000,
the proceeds of the endowment will cover a modest honorarium and travel costs for the visiting
professor each year.
Now in its 10th year, the ENT Annual Residents Research Day attracts dozens of residents,
fellows, medical students and doctoral and post-doctoral candidates. “We’re privileged to
honor Dr. Arnold’s legacy through this program,” said Dr. Megerian. “The lectureship will stand
as a lasting testament to his great contributions as a clinician, surgeon, teacher and colleague.”
UH CBO Jeans Day Committee Members (L-R): Jennifer
Rohaley, Dawn Morgan, Margaret O’Connor and TerryLynn Carbone-Baxter (Not pictured: Ruth Ziehm)
Members of the UH Central Business Office (CBO)
at the UH Management Services Center found
a creative way to inspire employee participation
in the Discover the Difference campaign – a
$2 Jeans Day. Launched by CBO staff members,
the Jeans Day drive gave the team the option of
wearing jeans on a day of their choosing if they
made a minimum $2 gift to the campaign.
“We’re proud of our team’s participation in the
physician and employee campaign,” said Margaret
O’Connor, manager of Revenue and Variance.
“Jeans Day makes it fun and convenient for them
to give.” The UH CBO sponsored the event during
the months of August and September.
Honoree Dr. James E. Arnold with physician donors (L-R): Front Row: Drs. Cliff A. Megerian,
Pierre Lavertu, Chad A. Zender. Back Row: Maroun T. Semaan, Nicole C. Maronian, Rod Rezaee
(not pictured: Drs. Fadi Abbass, Hassan Abbass and Tony Reisman)
Moments earlier, Harry, a husband, father of four
and exercise enthusiast who serves as the director
of Pastoral Care at University Hospitals Case Medical
Center, had just enjoyed a piece of cake with a
colleague when he began to feel unwell.
Within minutes, UH’s Code Blue team, led by
interventional cardiology fellow Dr. Darwin Jeyaraj,
was hurrying Harry through the sub-basement of
the medical center when suddenly, he coded.
“All I remember from that moment was hearing those
words. Then everything turned to black,” Harry said.
Harry would later learn that UH resident Dr. Nima Malakooti jumped onto the stretcher and immediately began to perform
chest compressions on him. The physically demanding task spared Harry’s life. For those few short moments when his heart
was not beating, Harry was clinically dead. When Harry did awake, it was to the feeling of intense pain in his leg. This is the
point where Dr. Marco Costa, director of the Interventional Cardiovascular Center, and the cardiac catheterization team,
which also included interventional cardiologist Dr. Greg Stefano, had begun the process of inserting a stent into the artery
that runs into the left ventricle of his heart. This is the only treatment for Harry’s condition, which heart surgeons refer to
as “the widowmaker,” a near-complete blockage of this vital artery.
Harry has since learned that he suffers from coronary artery disease, a condition that has taken the lives of many members of his
family and is the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death in both men and women in the nation.
“Despite being in great shape and enjoying very good health overall, I almost died,” Harry said. “My genetic predisposition
overwhelmed every other factor.”
Today, Harry is making changes to his diet and looking forward to resuming his daily workouts. He’s also proud to participate in the
Discover the Difference campaign as a way to honor all those who cared for him. “I owe UH my life,” Harry said. “The people
here are very special. They have what we in religious circles describe as a sense of calling. I know it. I felt it. And because of it,
I’m alive today.”
From fear to healing
On the desk of Dr. Francoise Adan rests a glass paperweight that is imprinted
with a simple reminder: Breathe.
Fall is the season of change, an ideal time to share with you the stories of
two of our colleagues who have been graced with new beginnings in their lives
because of the exceptional care they received at University Hospitals.
We are also pleased to feature in this issue of UH Voices the stories of three teams from
throughout our health system who have found creative and meaningful ways to support the
Discover the Difference Physician & Employee Campaign while honoring one another for
their dedication to our patients and our mission: To Heal. To Teach. To Discover.
Your commitment to the Discover the Difference campaign has a significant impact
on the lives of our patients, their families and our community. Thank you for living the
UH difference.
Thomas F. Zenty III
Chief Executive Officer
University Hospitals
Sincerely,
UH IR&D Team presents
iPads to UH employees
“There was an unstoppable
wave of support from
my colleagues, my team,
my mentors, my bosses“
Thomas F. Zenty III
As the director of the Connor Integrative Medicine Network (CIMN), Dr. Adan, who began
her career in family medicine, transitioned into psychiatry and evolved into a board certified
practitioner of holistic and integrative medicine, dedicates her practice to helping patients
understand that healing involves the entire body, and simple practices such as deep breathing
speed the process.
Dressing down for the cause
Revenue Cycle Team launches Dress Down Days Fundraiser
When UH launched the Discover the Difference Physician
& Employee Campaign, Mary Eink, vice president of Revenue
Cycle for University Hospitals Physician Services, wondered
how her team could show their support for the valuable effort.
Inspiration struck when Mary, with the help of her assistant,
Toni Butcher, introduced “Dress Down Days” to the Euclidbased team.
In appreciation for a $25 contribution to the campaign, Revenue
Cycle employees are allowed to dress down every Tuesday and
Thursday until the end of the year. To date, approximately 75
of the team’s 250 members have participated in the drive and
the number continues to grow. “Our goal is to reach 100%
participation from our team,” Mary said. “We want to give
every one of our employees the opportunity to be part of this
important program.”
UHPS Discover the Difference Committee Members (L-R): Monica Black, Mary Eink, Shirley Gygli,
Michael Fontanella, Toni Butcher, Sheryl Johnson, Sharmila Ball and Alma Rodriguez
(not pictured: Christina Chmielecki)
When she assumed leadership of the UH Ahuja-based CIMN in January of this year, an
opportunity she describes as “a dream come true,” Dr. Adan could not have anticipated how
personal this message would become to her. Just as she had begun the great task of bringing
the holistic therapies delivered by CIMN staff to patients, physicians and staff throughout the
system, she underwent a routine mammogram that brought terrifying results.
“I decided to look up my patient record rather than wait for the results from my physician,”
Dr. Adan recalled. “My heart skipped a few beats when I saw the report: breast carcinoma,
an aggressive form of breast cancer. The fear set in immediately.”
David Schrader, vice president, Institutional Relations
& Development, Ebony Harris and Grace Walters, NAII
Institutional Relations & Development (IR&D) leader
David Schrader recently presented iPads to Ebony Harris,
health information specialist at University Hospitals
Ahuja Medical Center and Grace Walters, Nursing
Assistant II at University Hospitals MacDonald
Women’s Hospital.
The iPads were raffled in a drawing that was held as
part of the effort to raise awareness of the Discover
the Difference Physician & Employee Campaign.
Fortunately, the cancer was caught early. In the weeks and months that followed her
diagnosis, Dr. Adan practiced yoga and received massage, Reiki and acupuncture treatments
while receiving medical care from UH physicians and staff – care that she describes as brilliant
and compassionate. “I was graced by the extraordinary care of Dr. Rosemary Leeming, who
always held a safe place for me and made herself available to my family,” Dr. Adan said.
“And I won’t forget how Caroline Sanchez at the UH Chagrin Highlands Breast Health Center
and Rody Olmstead with the Breen Breast Health Pavilion never let go of my hand during
procedures.”
She was also deeply moved by the support she received from her UH colleagues throughout
the system. “There was an unstoppable wave of support from my colleagues, my team, my
mentors, my bosses,” Dr. Adan said. “They are my UH family, and what a gift they gave me.”
Dr. Adan is now cancer-free and leading the CIMN in its efforts to expand access to holistic
care to patients, physicians and employees to every facility in the system. She’s also proud
to lend her support to the Discover the Difference campaign. “Through our support of the
campaign and the care we provide, we make the UH Difference.”
We’ve launched the Discover the Difference
Physician & Employee Honor Roll.
Please view our complete donor list at:
stories.UHhospitals.org