Fisher-Titus Medical Center and the Bellevue Hospital launch affiliation with the country’s No. 1 heart hospital, Cleveland Clinic

Fisher-Titus Medical Center and The Bellevue Hospital today announced an affiliation with Cleveland Clinic's Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute. The affiliation will bring world-class heart care to area residents and provide greater access to Cleveland Clinic’s academic, clinical and research best practices in cardiovascular and thoracic care.

“While each organization remains independent, the affiliation with Cleveland Clinic’s Heart and Vascular Institute strengthens all elements of heart and vascular medicine and thoracic surgery to provide the highest level of cardiovascular and thoracic care to the six-county region served by Fisher-Titus and The Bellevue Hospital,” said Patrick J. Martin, president and CEO of Fisher-Titus Medical Center.

The affiliation is the result of a comprehensive study and assessment of the current level of cardiovascular and thoracic services available to residents in the two hospitals’ service areas, according to both Martin and Michael K. Winthrop, president and CEO of The Bellevue Hospital. The study, which began over one year ago, revealed a need for expanding these services to provide a higher level of care for area residents in their own communities. Since then, leadership teams from both hospitals have been working with Cleveland Clinic officials to develop a program to meet those needs.

“This is another great example of the long-standing relationship between our two independent community hospitals working together on initiatives to benefit our patients and communities,” said Winthrop. “In the past, Fisher-Titus and The Bellevue Hospital have worked together to recruit specialty physicians in pediatrics, urology, neurology, and plastic surgery who serve patients in both our service areas and at both our hospitals. This new affiliation provides us the opportunity to bring word-class heart and vascular care and a comprehensive thoracic surgical program to our patients.”

The two hospitals serve a combined six-county region which includes Erie, Huron, Lorain, Richland, Sandusky and Seneca counties. This affiliation brings these communities four new physicians and Cleveland Clinic’s best practices and reputation in heart and vascular care, including:

• A heart program that has achieved the U.S. News and World Report’s No. 1 ranking for 18 consecutive years.
• An internationally renowned vascular surgery and endovascular program that offers comprehensive services for carotid artery disease, aortic aneurysms, poor circulation to the legs, and all types of vascular disorders, including peripheral artery disease and atherosclerosis.
• Comprehensive thoracic surgical services for the treatment of diseases of the lung and esophagus, including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung failure, and esophageal cancer.

“New treatment techniques and technologies for cardiovascular and thoracic diseases are emerging rapidly, and this affiliation will make the latest advancements in care much more accessible to patients of Fisher-Titus and The Bellevue Hospital,” said Bruce Lytle, M.D., chairman of the Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic. “In addition to our physicians on the ground in the hospitals, we’ll be working collaboratively to continually improve the quality of cardiac, vascular and thoracic care available in North Central Ohio.”

Cleveland Clinic will provide training and protocols on dealing with all types of medical situations while integrating the newest technologies and innovations. Cleveland Clinic will also be sharing “best practices” related to the various sections within cardiology, vascular surgery and thoracic surgery. Local patients will have greater access to surgical clinical trials, treatment protocols and additional research opportunities offered through Cleveland Clinic at the two local hospitals.

Working with Fisher-Titus and The Bellevue Hospital, Cleveland Clinic will hire and employ a physician team initially including two cardiologists, a vascular surgeon and a thoracic surgeon who will work in the hospitals and live in the communities they serve. These physicians will begin seeing patients in September 2013.

“The Cleveland Clinic physicians will augment and complement the physicians who are currently providing heart and vascular care to area patients, and will work with clinical support teams employed at Fisher-Titus Medical Center and The Bellevue Hospital,” said Suzanne Inglis, assistant vice president of nursing at Fisher-Titus Medical Center.

About Fisher-Titus Medical Center

Fisher-Titus Medical Center, a 99-bed non-profit community hospital, provides comprehensive medical services including hospital care, outpatient and diagnostic services, transitional care, long-term care, assisted living, and home health care for 70,000-plus residents in Norwalk, Huron County and the region. With a dedicated and talented staff of employees and an outstanding team of physicians representing 35 medical specialties, Fisher-Titus has earned numerous national recognitions for clinical quality and patient care. The Medical Center is accredited by Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) and also is a Fully Accredited Chest Pain Center, a Primary Stroke Center and a Level 3 Trauma Center. Over the past decade the Medical Center invested $200 million in capital equipment and facility expansions, became the nations’ first all-digital smart community hospital in 2010 and was named among Healthcare’s “Most Wired” in 2012. For more information, visit www.fisher-titus.org. Like us at www.facebook.com/fishertitusmedicalcenter.

About The Bellevue Hospital

The Bellevue Hospital is a locally owned, not-for-profit hospital, committed to offering patients the most advanced technology and medical treatment possible while providing the highest level of personal care in our beautiful hospital. The Bellevue Hospital is located at 1400 West Main Street in Bellevue, Ohio and is one of the largest employers in the city of Bellevue with over 400 employees. The Bellevue Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission, Mammography Quality Standards Act and the American College of Radiology and certified by the American Diabetes Association and American Association of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Rehabilitation. In 2012 the hospital was recognized with the Outstanding Patient Experience Award by HealthGrades and was ranked in the Top 5% of hospital nationwide for the fifth year in a row, and the only hospital in Ohio to receive the award for the past five consecutive years. The Bellevue Hospital proudly continues its 96-year tradition of Caring for the Communities We Serve. Visit us at www.bellevuehospital.com and like us at www.facbook.com/TheBellevueHospital.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon 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. More than 3,000 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, more than 75 Northern Ohio outpatient locations, including 16 full-service Family Health Centers, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and, currently under construction, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2012, there were 5.1 million outpatient visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 157,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 130 countries. Visit us at www.clevelandclinic.