Health Education Campus to Eliminate Physical Barriers Between Long-Time Collaborators

A state-of-the-future, interdisciplinary Health Education Campus will open its doors in Cleveland in April 2019, reflecting an effort by Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic to prepare students to lead in a new era of healthcare delivery.

The two institutions, whose main campuses are just a few blocks from each other, have long collaborated. The university’s medical and nursing students often conduct clinical hours and even complete residencies at Cleveland Clinic, and many Cleveland Clinic physicians hold academic positions at the university — a practice that dates back to the health system’s founders.

In addition, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (CCLCM) was established in 2002 as a partnership with Case Western Reserve to train physician investigators. CCLCM is a distinct program within the university’s school of medicine, with entering class sizes limited to 32, full-tuition scholarships for all students and a noncompetitive learning environment. The program’s first class graduated in 2009.

New space removes distance between partners

Originally announced in 2013, the new Health Education Campus, which includes the 477,000-square-foot Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion and a 132,000-square-foot dental clinic, is located adjacent to Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, less than a mile from Case Western Reserve. It will house students from the university’s dental, nursing and medical schools, including those at CCLCM. Social work students also will attend some classes and interprofessional lectures at the new facility, although most of their coursework will be done at the recently renovated Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences building on the main Case Western Reserve campus.

“We are excited about this building because it will provide a beautiful space for cross-institution programs to happen and will remove some of the barriers that have been there before, such as the distance between the various places on campus to get together,” says Case Western Reserve President Barbara R. Snyder (shown in the center in the photo above). “But our students have been working together all along. Medical students from Cleveland Clinic Lerner College, working with social work students from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, have been exchanging information and have learned what each brings to the table that can help provide healthier outcomes for patients.”

Shared vision to transform health education

“Our partnership with Case Western Reserve University has been immensely exciting and stimulating for our organizations,” says Tom Mihaljevic, MD, CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic (on the right in the photo above). “I think it shows how bringing together teams from different organizations can create a truly transformational effect in the way we educate future caregivers.

“I know that Barbara and I share the vision that the Health Education Campus will bring the center of medical education closer to Cleveland, Ohio, because of the uniqueness of this effort.”

About Case Western Reserve University

Established in 1826, Case Western Reserve University is one of the country’s leading private research institutions. Located in Cleveland, it offers a unique combination of forward-thinking educational opportunities in an inspiring cultural setting. Its leading-edge faculty engage in teaching and research in a collaborative, hands-on environment. Its nationally recognized programs include arts and sciences, dental medicine, engineering, law, management, medicine, nursing and social work. Approximately 5,150 undergraduate and 6,700 graduate and professional students comprise its student body.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. It was founded in Cleveland in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based on the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 66,000 employees are more than 4,200 physicians and scientists, more than 2,800 advanced practice providers and 16,590 nurses, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 11 regional hospitals and more than 150 northern Ohio outpatient locations — including 18 full-service family health centers and three health and wellness centers. Cleveland Clinic also has four locations in Florida; the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Nevada; outpatient services in Toronto, Canada; and hospitals in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and London, England. In 2018, there were 7.9 million outpatient visits, 295,000 hospital admissions and 245,000 surgical cases throughout the health system.