Cliff Megerian, MD, CEO of Cleveland-based University Hospitals, launched a book club for employees that had its first in-person meeting this month.
Cliff's Notes: A UH Book Club, which is named after Dr. Megerian, began in June. The first meeting was held via Zoom on June 30.
"Dr. Megerian has a strong passion for reading and he wanted to share with caregivers some of his favorites," UH spokesperson Lisa Riordan told Becker's. "Reading supports continuous learning, but it also fosters relaxation, creativity and self-reflection. We have a mix of suggested titles with books focusing on topics related to leadership; healthcare delivery; diversity, equity and inclusion; and our UH values as well as those that are just fun reads."
Ms. Riordan said Dr. Megerian recommends titles to book club participants, in addition to accepting suggestions from the UH book club committee. Employees receive a "Cliff pick" and a "committee pick" monthly. Book club participants then discuss the two books the following month.
Employees can also access the "pick of the month" books via a website or the Libby mobile app, Ms. Riordan said. Additionally, there is a webpage on the UH intranet for the book club where people can post thoughts about the titles they are reading.
Since the club launched, more than 50 employees have participated in meetings and about 1,400 books have been checked out, according to Ms. Riordan. The most popular books so far: "Humble Leadership," "Grow Your Value," "Black Man in a White Coat" and "Man's Search for Meaning."
Except for December, all meetings have been held virtually. Ms. Riordan said University Hospitals plans to hold most of the meetings virtually next year while trying to have an in-person meeting once per quarter.
"We will continue to add more books to the book club library and hope to continue growing the number of participants," she said.