Case Western Reserve and Cleveland Clinic Dedicate Health Education Campus Dental Clinic and Community Park

Case Western Reserve and Cleveland Clinic today celebrated completion of two projects designed to enhance the health and well-being of area residents—as well as dental education.

The first project is a 132,000-square-foot dental clinic located directly across from the Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion on Chester Avenue. The two buildings are part of the Health Education Campus, a joint project that the university and hospital first began working toward in 2013. Earlier this month, the two organizations dedicated the 477,000-square-foot Samson Pavilion, which welcomes more than 2,200 students from the university’s dental, nursing and medical schools—including the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine.

“This dental clinic represents an enormous opportunity for students and patients alike,” Case Western Reserve President Barbara R. Snyder said. “It gives both access to state-of-the-art space, technology and equipment, which will expand the services provided and reduce the number of visits required to complete certain procedures.”

The second project is the Newton Avenue Park, another shared project of the university and hospital, in addition to the Famicos Foundation, a local nonprofit community organization. The 28,000-square-foot park includes playground equipment, a walking trail and abundant green space. Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve agreed to create the park as part of its commitment to the community prior to building the dental clinic.

“Cleveland Clinic is firmly committed to supporting our community. We are proud that the addition of the dental clinic became part of the Health Education Campus design and will provide greater access for patients where they live and to nearby schools and community centers,” said Tom Mihaljevic, M.D., Cleveland Clinic Chief Executive Officer and President. “We are very grateful for the support of the Famicos Foundation and their assistance in providing a park in a safe area for walking and play for the neighborhood.”

Located next to the historic Newton Apartments at 1871 East 97th St., the park will provide residents a welcoming space for children’s play, modest exercise and community gathering for picnics or simply shared conversations.

“Famicos is proud to partner with the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western (Reserve) to bring this beautiful green space to Hough,” said John Anoliefo, Executive Director at Famicos Foundation. “These types of project partnerships ensure residents see themselves reflected in the continued evolution of their community. But most importantly, it will be a place for neighbors, young and old, to be able to have new experiences and create memories.”

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(Photos by Don Gerda, Cleveland Clinic Center for Medical Art & Photography)

The dental clinic, meanwhile, provides residents far easier access to dental care than the school’s existing location. While the current clinic is all but hidden on the first floor of a building facing a service driveway, the new one faces Chester Avenue, one of the city’s most-trafficked streets. It also features an adjacent parking lots, drop-off and pick-up at the clinic door and far more airy and well-lit spaces. In addition, its neighborhood location makes it easier for students and faculty to provide educational outreach in local community centers and schools.

About 19,000 patients seek treatment at the school’s current clinic each year—more than 11,000 of the of them Cleveland residents.

“We are thrilled that this new space will allow us to reach even more patients across our community,” said dental school Dean Kenneth Chance. “With features like 3D printers, we will be able to provide more efficient care, while outpatient suites for complex procedures will allow for more treatments right on site.”

Ronald Reed and Philip LiBassi, principals of DLR Group/Westlake Reed Leskosky, led the design of the new dental clinic, which opens to patients June 3.

The dental clinic received significant support from Medical Mutual and STERIS as part of the joint fundraising by Case Western Reserve and Cleveland Clinic to build the Health Education Campus. To date, the two institutions together have raised nearly $275 million for the $515 million Health Education Campus, and active joint fundraising continues.