THE CLEVELAND CLINIC—ONE OF THE GREAT HOSPITALS IN THE WORLD

The year was 1921 and in the wealthy and prosperous city of Cleveland three young medical surgeons, who had served together in WWI, got together to form what would become The Cleveland Clinic. They were G.W. Crile,  Frank Bunts, William Lower and an invitee, John Philips. The founders established the Clinic with the vision: “Better care of the sick, investigation of their problems, and further education of those who serve.”

Cleveland Clinic (formally known as the Cleveland Clinic Foundation) is today a multi-specialty academic medical center located in Cleveland, Ohio. One of the largest private medical centers in the world, Cleveland Clinic saw more than 2,900,000 patient visits in 2005, with 53,000 hospital admissions. Patients arrive at Cleveland Clinic from all 50 states and more than 100 nations. Cleveland Clinic’s approximately 1,700 salaried staff physicians represent 120 medical specialties and sub-specialties. They serve and heal individuals from Kings and Princes to Presidents and ordinary people who may need treatment for very serious ailments, and they come from all around the globe as we said.

This is one of the great research hospitals as well. There is no end to the disciplines they encompass. The 13 specialties at the Cleveland are ranked among the best in the world. The main campus of Cleveland Clinic consists of 41 buildings on more than 140 acres and the hospital operates 12 family health and ambulatory surgery centers in surrounding Ohio communities, a multispecialty hospital in Weston, Florida, an outpatient clinic in Toronto, Canada, overseas in such diverse countries as the UAE and soon to be established in China. But what is really exciting is some of the research areas they have been first in so many treatments: synthesis of angiotensin II (involved in high blood pressure), isolation of serotonin (involved in depression,  development of “no-touch” colorectal surgery, pioneering of conservative surgery for breast cancer,  invention of “washing-machine artificial kidney” dialysis machine, first coronary catheterization, first coronary bypass surgery, first minimally invasive aortic valve surgery, first successful larynx transplant , discovery of first gene linked to juvenile macular degeneration, first mitral valve repair and Maze procedure in the same operation,and the list could go on. 

From a small two room clinic to this large world-wide treatment and care corporation, there is no end to the possibilties they may accomplish in the near and far future. And we all benefit.