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February 27, 2019/Community Impact

Cleveland Clinic Commits to Community Service With Shared-Mission Organizations

Caregivers given opportunity for paid time off to give back to community

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Cleveland Clinic leaders volunteered at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank: in July.

Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, M.D., announced a broad expansion of caregiver community service.

Dr. Mihaljevic made the announcement this morning during the annual State of the Clinic address, delivered from the InterContinental Hotel on Cleveland Clinic’s main campus.

Cleveland Clinic is breaking new ground by being one of the first healthcare systems to provide more than 50,000 caregivers at all levels of the organization with the opportunity to share their time and talents to serving the community.

“Our caregivers in Ohio, Nevada, and Canada – and very soon in Florida – can make a real impact in the communities we serve,” Dr. Mihaljevic said. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this benefit because we want every community we serve to be the healthiest community possible.

“Community Service Time Off is a win for everyone – for employees who want to give back, for our partners that serve those in need, and for local residents whose lives we touch.”

This new initiative will allow those who work for Cleveland Clinic to provide up to four hours in a calendar year of community service during their normal working hours with designated community partners and agencies.

As a not-for-profit organization, Cleveland Clinic selected community partners with similar missions that focus on education, health and improving quality of life.

Cleveland Clinic leaders volunteered at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank: in July.

Community partners in Northeast Ohio include Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, America Scores Cleveland, Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland, Feeding Medina County, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity of Summit County, Habitat for Humanity Wayne County and MedWish International.

“We are very excited about this initiative and honored to be chosen as one of Cleveland Clinic’s partner organizations,” said Mary LaVigne-Butler, vice president of external affairs at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

“We depend on the services of volunteers to help us get millions of pounds of food out the door to our program partners within the community. In addition, volunteers help to ensure that kids have lunches and after-school snacks, seniors have meals delivered to their doors, hungry children have food over the weekends, and seniors have a reliable source of shelf-stable food on a regular basis.”

Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital will partner with the Tuscarawas County Park Department. In Las Vegas, community partners are Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas and Three Square. Cleveland Clinic Canada will partner with Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area.

Cleveland Clinic caregivers may sign up for opportunities now that will begin in April.

In the future, Community Service Time Off will include the communities near the Cleveland Clinic Florida hospitals in south Florida and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Click here to downloadvideo of Dr. Mihaljevic and Cleveland Clinic leaders volunteering at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 66,000 employees are more than 4,200 salaried physicians and researchers and 16,600 nurses, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic’s health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 16 regional hospitals (11 in Ohio, five in Florida), more than 150 northern Ohio outpatient locations – including 18 full-service family health centers and three health and wellness centers – and locations in Las Vegas, Nev.; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2018, there were 7.9 million total outpatient visits, 238,000 hospital admissions and observations and 220,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

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