University Hospitals Opens New Medical Center In Cleveland

CLEVELAND, OH — University Hospitals opened a new medical care center in the heart of the MidTown neighborhood in Cleveland. The UH Rainbow Center for Women & Children will attempt to create a collaborative environment with patients and community stakeholders working together to address health disparities.

"University Hospitals and members of the community designed the Center to help meet the specific needs of this community," said Tom Zenty, UH CEO. "Together, we're not only providing families with convenient access to compassionate medical care, we're integrating resources to truly help enhance their health."

Besides offering traditional treatments and medical therapies, the new facility will offer programs to improve the overall health and wellness of Cleveland residents. The center will offer education and sessions on prevention and total health needs.

One of the center's main goals will be to decrease infant mortality and pre-term birth rates in Cuyahoga County, which are among the highest in the nation. The hospital system said it will be deploying the Centering model at the facility.

The facility's programs will also include integrated mental and behavioral health services, dietitians and nutrition education, a full-service vision clinic, dental screening and cleaning, legal services, and an on-site pharmacy, University Hospitals said. A Community Advisory Board helped determine what services should be offered at the UH Rainbow Center for Women & Children medical center.

"We believe that by transforming the model of care to provide resources for patients and providers at the point of service, we can improve health outcomes," said Patti DePompei, President, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's and MacDonald Women's hospitals. "We've built in data-driven measures of success to the work flow of the new Center, and we look forward to sharing what we learn with other healthcare organizations. We hope the UH Rainbow Center for Women & Children can be a national model for addressing health disparities by treating the whole patient with individually tailored care and support."

The hospital system is also working with Dave's Supermarket, which will open a new location in the MidTown neighborhood in 2019. With education encouraging better nutrition, and improved access to fresh produce, University Hospital officials are hoping to see immediate benefits to the local population.

The UH Rainbow Center for Women & Children is a $26 million capital project for the hospital system. The facility is a 40,000-square-foot, three-story urban medical center located just two miles west of UH's main campus.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

Photo caption: Na’Tour Brown and his family were the first visitors to the new UH Rainbow Center for Women & Children on opening day. Na’Tour, just three days old, had his first checkup with his UH Rainbow pediatrician, Dr. Sarah Ronis.

Photo credit: University Hospitals