Cleveland Clinic has appointed James Hekman, M.D., as the medical director for the new Cleveland Clinic Lakewood Family Health Center.
In this new role, Dr. Hekman will focus on achieving a hub of world-class ambulatory and ED care at the center of Lakewood, while working with the Lakewood community to encourage the wellness of its citizens in the form of educational talks, health fairs, community volunteerism and partnering with local organizations.
Construction of the new $34 million, 62,000-square-foot facility is planned to begin in the fourth quarter of 2016 and is expected to be completed by mid-2018. The three-floor structure is expected to house an emergency department, imaging center, family medicine, primary care physicians and medical specialists.
Dr. Hekman joined Cleveland Clinic in 2008, practicing internal medicine with a subspecialty in HIV at the Beachwood Family Health and Surgery Center. An advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) patients and caregivers alike, Dr. Hekman most recently helped design and launch Cleveland Clinic’s Center for LGBT Care in the Chagrin Falls Family Health Center. He and his team are also providing care in Lakewood four days a week and plan to expand to full-time coverage once the new Lakewood Family Health Center opens in 2018.
“I look forward to building world class care in the years to come for all of the citizens of Lakewood,” said Dr. Hekman.
Josh Miller, D.O., vice president for Cleveland Clinic’s Regional Family Health Center Operations, said, “Dr. Hekman brings with him the energy and enthusiasm needed to lead the new Lakewood campus. We are excited about his vision for enhancing the care that we offer to our patients and to the community.”
Dr. Hekman was appointed as a clinical assistant professor with the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in 2014. He completed medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. His residency was completed at the Kaiser Foundation Hospital (Kaiser Permanente) California.