"Cleveland Clinic" is recognized around the world — but unlike its name, the health system doesn't stand alone.
Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, Cleveland Clinic's president, CEO and Morton L. Mandel CEO Chair, discussed the value of partnerships with other health systems in a Feb. 21 LinkedIn article.
The COVID-19 pandemic made it evident that health systems need to work together to succeed, according to Dr. Mihaljevic. The Clinic has been working hand-in-hand with University Hospitals — another internationally renowned academic medical center in Cleveland — to improve community health outcomes since 2020.
"Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals — despite being competitive healthcare systems – found common ground for the benefit of our patients and communities," Dr. Mihaljevic said.
He and Cliff Megerian, MD, University Hospitals' CEO, were recently invited to speak about their collaborative efforts by the City Club of Cleveland. Together, their organizations have been tackling public health issues in their shared city, including food insecurity, lead poisoning, infant and maternal health, and jobs.
When health systems have a collaborative relationship with their competitors, they are able to face large-scale, unexpected emergencies from a united front. Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals have shared their model in a whitepaper called "Stronger Together."
"If healthcare leaders throughout the United States followed the pattern we have established in Cleveland, we would see significant improvement in the health of our fellow Americans," Dr. Mihaljevic said.