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4 Ways the Cleveland Clinic Represents the Model for Hospital and Healthcare Innovation

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By: Paul Hesselschwerdt and David Sanderson

Global Partners is beginning a series on the Cleveland Clinic. It is based on a recent interview with Dr. Toby Cosgrove, CEO. We chose the Cleveland Clinic because we believe it is a role model for best healthcare practices and innovation. 

The Cleveland Clinic is celebrating its 90^th anniversary this year. This multispecialty academic medical center is ranked as one of the top 4 hospitals in the United States by U.S. News & World Report and #1 for cardiac care.  

It is apparent to us, early in our discussions with Dr. Cosgrove, that the Cleveland Clinic is much more than one of the nation’s premiere hospitals. It has been, and is, a model for better standards in healthcare in the U.S. and around the world.

Here are 4 ways the Cleveland Clinic serves as a model for hospital and healthcare innovation and why we feel fortunate to be able to talk with Dr. Cosgrove.

1. A GREAT HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, LIKE ANY GREAT CORPORATION, STAYS TRUE TO ITS ROOTS: The Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four physicians on the concept of group practice in medicine which was relatively new at the time. Only the Mayo Clinic and military units were known to follow this model. The vision of the Cleveland Clinic then was “Better care of the sick, investigation of their problems.” Today, with over 36,000 employees and revenues of 4.4 billion dollars, the Cleveland Clinic is ranked among the best hospitals on fifteen specialties. Its excellence is still based on the same adherence to group practice principles as when it was founded.
2. THE eCLEVELAND CLINIC “MY CHART” PHR PROVES PATIENTS CAN MANAGE THEIR OWN HEALTHCARE: The ground breaking eCleveland Clinic “MyChart” PHR offers patients '24/7' access to their medical record, the same record the physician sees. Researchers at Cleveland Clinic extracted demographic and usage information on more than 60,000 users proving Personal Health Record use does result in patients better managing their own healthcare.
3. A GOOD BUSINESS MODEL HAS TO BE A GOOD HEALTHCARE MODEL: The Cleveland Clinic works so well as a hospital because it works so well as a business. Its doctors are on salary. This eliminates the competition for patients between departments, and the incentive for doctors to perform additional tests and procedures. The system also "drives our quality up," Cosgrove says, because it frees doctors to concentrate on their practices, not the minutiae of running a small business. "Day after day for 30 years I did nothing but fix hearts," he said. "That's how you get good at something."
4. CORE VALUES OF A GOOD HOSPITAL SYSTEM ARE TRANSFERABLE GLOBALLY: The Clinic announced plans to operate a world-class specialty hospital in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to be built and owned by the UAE government. This facility is scheduled to open late in 2012. The core values of the Cleveland Clinic reflect a physician-led medical facility, served by Western-trained, North American board-certified (or equivalent) physicians. “There is no reason the Cleveland Clinic's core values and competencies cannot be transferred to other parts of the world,” Dr. Cosgrove said. He also indicated plans to expand into other markets abroad including Austria and Singapore.

We believe the Cleveland Clinic, with Dr. Toby Cosgrove as the CEO, is setting the standard for healthcare innovation. Do you?