Keeping score on the world-champion Cleveland Clinic - home and away

An entire section of the daily newspaper and about half of TV news coverage is about NEO sports, while little attention is focused on our real winners. What is more exciting and important to the people of this community: a closing pitcher's saved games or a heart surgeon's saved lives? Attendance at basketball games or patients treated per year? A 30,000 seat stadium or a million square foot heart center? Having the world's best B-ball player or world-class healthcare, adding $ billions to our economy! TIme to focus on the scoreboards that matter. Cleveland sports teams rise and fall but NEO healthcare providers are always global champions, and getting better each year. Not only are "WE" winners at home, but the team Cleveland Clinic is increasingly a winner on the road, most recently being recruited by Scripps Institute in California for an innovative program in Florida. Read recent from the Cleveland Clinic head coach's playbook [1] and more press below on a few other big wins in the past few weeks.

Clinic in talks to team up on new Fla. center [2]
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Crain's Cleveland Business: February 07, 2005
By SHANNON MORTLAND
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The Cleveland Clinic is working on a deal with the California-based Scripps Research Institute that could include opening a hospital in Palm Beach County, Fla., that would focus on experimental medicine.

"We are in serious negotiations with them to partner to do research together," Scripps president Dr. Richard Lerner said in a telephone interview last week with Crain's Cleveland Business.

Clinic spokeswoman Eileen Sheil confirmed that the Clinic is "in serious discussions with the Scripps institute on working with them to develop something down there." She added that the talks are in an early stage and details on what that relationship will be have not been ironed out.

However, Dr. Lerner said in a Jan. 29 story in the Palm Beach Post in Florida that Scripps and the Clinic are working on a deal to build a 150-bed hospital where patients could seek experimental medicine. Dr. Lerner told Crain's that details of the center have not yet been developed.

 

Clinic gets MS grant [3]
3:40 PM Jan. 27, 2005

By SHANNON PETTYPIECE
The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute has received a $6.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to research the cause and treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Researchers will use the money to study the molecular mechanisms that cause the inflammation and degeneration in the brains of patients with MS. Scientists also will use high-resolution imaging to monitor changes to patients’ brains as the disease progresses and will identify potential treatments for the disease.

The grant, awarded to the Clinic earlier this winter, enables Clinic scientists to continue a five-year research project they started in 1999 with a $4.5 million NIH grant. More than 30 researchers and support staff have been working on the project.

MS is caused by inflammation and scarring of the tissue that covers and protects nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord, causing muscle weakness, poor eyesight and eventually an inability to move.

 

Clinic receives $1M for innovations [4]
3:22 PM Jan. 17, 2005

By SHANNON PETTYPIECE
The Cleveland Clinic’s technology commercialization arm has another $1 million to help Clinic inventions reach the market.

The P.K. Ranney Foundation of Cleveland has donated $1 million to the Center for Biomedical Innovation and Technology Transfer, which is part of CCF Innovations, the Clinic’s commercialization and technology transfer department.

In 2003, the Clinic received a $5 million grant from the family of real estate developer John J. Ferchill to create the center to accelerate the commercialization of devices, procedures and other technology developed by doctors and scientists at the Clinic.

Chris Coburn, director of CCF Innovations, said the center is looking to raise $4 million beyond what it has received from the Ranney Foundation and Mr. Ferchill.

“The Ranney Foundation’s contribution represents not only a commitment to the Cleveland Clinic, but also a commitment to the future of biomedical research and innovation,� Mr. Coburn said. “This brings us to 60% of our goal of raising $10 million for the center.�

Peter K. Ranney, who oversees the Ranney foundation, said it typically makes anonymous donations. However, he said the foundation chose to go public in hopes of encouraging other philanthropists to support the Clinic’s technology commercialization effort.

“These are important activities of this very effective and efficient institution that I feel will have a powerful and enduring benefit for the community’s health care and economic development,â€? Mr. Ranney said.