Cleveland Clinic has opened a Center for Men’s Health to offer a wide range of specialty health services for men who have traditionally been medically underserved.
Led by Daniel Shoskes, M.D., a urologist in Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, the center is designed to streamline protocols, share data and compare outcomes for men who suffer from symptomatic urologic disorders, such as voiding dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, chronic testicular pain, benign prostatic enlargement (BPH) or chronic prostatitis.
“Our focus is on addressing certain conditions that specifically affect men and improve access for populations that have been traditionally underserved and understudied,” said Dr. Shoskes, who specializes in renal transplantation, chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and men’s pelvic health. “Using evidence-based tools allows us to establish research protocols and introduce novel technology to address unmet needs.”
Daniel Shoskes, M.D.
One of the center’s first initiatives includes working directly with Cleveland Clinic’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Clinic located in the Lakewood Family Health Center to address barriers to care for gay and bisexual men. Traditionally, standard men’s health questionnaires are geared towards a heterosexual male patient population, although the symptoms associated with certain conditions like erectile dysfunction or side effects from urological surgeries such as a radical prostatectomy can affect gay men differently. The Center for Men’s Health will examine new ways to tailor care for this patient population.
The center also offers the latest in urological technology, including low-intensity shock wave therapy to treat erectile dysfunction and chronic pelvic pain. The treatment is designed to improve low penile blood flow and is the first technology to target the underlying problem – erectile dysfunction – instead of treating the symptoms. The therapy is administered once a week for six weeks and effects can last for over a year. Cleveland Clinic is the only hospital in the area to offer the therapy.
“One of the aspects of the new center that we are most excited about is the multispecialty Men’s Health Clinic we are offering, which uses a multidisciplinary, team-based approach to address men’s health concerns,” said Dr. Shoskes. “We’ve known for a while that sexual dysfunction is oftentimes directly linked to other health issues such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. For example, ED is frequently the first sign of a heart problem in men. By offering this combined delivery system of care, we are striving to improve access, reduce costs and improve outcomes.”
Patients have the ability to schedule appointments with multiple providers, such as a cardiologist, endocrinologist and urologist all in the same visit, while their blood work and other tests are completed ahead of time.
The clinic offers providers from multiple specialties, including urology, cardiology and endocrinology, as well as a psychologist who specializes in men’s sexual health and a dietician who specializes in nutrition and dietary needs for diabetic men and those with a high BMI. Pelvic floor physical therapy is also offered. The clinic is located in the Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute at main campus.
Patients can learn more at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/urology-kidney/depts/mens-health#overview-tab. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 216.444.5600.