The Observation Deck

I went to a parent orientation meeting for incoming freshmen at LHS last night and was informed that there is a new "Cleveland Clinic Health Center" inside the school. Now instead of missing school, students (that are signed up) can get immunizations, strep tests, have medications prescribed right from inside of school, making it possible for them to miss less school for doctor's appointments.

I understand how this could be helpful but I have a lot of questions. How did this happen? Was this part of the hospital deal? I didn't think our school district was involved. Were other health systems given a chance to bid for this clinic? Is Cleveland Clinic paying rent for the space in our school? Is it paying a fee for such direct access to our students and parents? I accompany my children to all of their health appointments, particularly sick ones, to hear what the doctor has to say myself. How does that work within the high school?
How does this work with health insurance? Care Source and Cleveland Clinic are parting ways on August 31st. Cleveland Clinic will no longer serve anyone with Care Source at any of their hospitals, like the new Health Center, Fairview Park, etc. What about all the LHS students whose families have Care Source?

And just overall, What? How is this a fait accompli? (I had my daughter look up this phrase to make sure I got it right in this post, the definition is: "A thing that has already happened or been decided before those affected hear about it, leaving them no option but to accept." )

When they are ill do they HAVE to go to the Cleveland Clinic Health Center inside their school? Is the school nurse a LHS employee or a Cleveland Clinic employee. What if I still just want to be called when my kid is sick to come get them and take them to their own pediatrician who they have been seeing since they were born?

Has anyone else heard about this and can anyone provide any insight?

Thank you.

Betsy Voinovich

I can think of more questions, but I think the number one question is:

Why is the Lakewood public repeatedly the last to know?

I have spent several minutes searching for any information about this online; this thread is basically the only result I can come up with. I even searched through board of education minutes PDFs, and turned up nothing.

That's ridiculous.

Why is communication with the Lakewood public the absolute last priority, again and again?

We are on a "need to know" basis.

And they don't think we need to know anything.

Hello, this partnership with the Cleveland Clinic was discussed at the Aug. 8, 2014 Board meeting in the Superintendent's Report and also shared with the public on the front page of our quarterly community newsletter, Report Card, in March 2015 when the Clinic's mobile health center began visiting Garfield and Harrison. Please see links below:

http://www.lakewoodcityschools.org/docs ... .18.14.pdf
http://www.lakewoodcityschools.org/docs ... 20Card.pdf

Christine Gordillo
Communications Coordinator
Lakewood City Schools

This would have been a School Board decision, not one that could be made by City Hall.
However, this School Board marches in lockstep with Team Summers, so I guess that's just a fine legal point.

FWIW, the schools have had a relationship with the Clinic for many years (before the hospital theft). The high school's athletic trainer position is outsourced to the Clinic.....that's the norm at the high school level. CCF and UH are the dominant players locally (not Metro).
Those who attend games might notice the Clinic banner ads at the stadium and gym. Those exist at many schools throughout the Cleveland area.

Students need not worry! According to the article, "insurance will be billed directly!"



So what is a parent to do if their child avails themselves of this service and their insurance refuses payment?

It sounds like the Clinic just wants to capture anyone they can before another health service gets the business.

Christine Gordillo wrote:Hello, this partnership with the Cleveland Clinic was discussed at the Aug. 8, 2014 Board meeting in the Superintendent's Report and also shared with the public on the front page of our quarterly community newsletter, Report Card, in March 2015 when the Clinic's mobile health center began visiting Garfield and Harrison. Please see links below:

http://www.lakewoodcityschools.org/docs ... .18.14.pdf
http://www.lakewoodcityschools.org/docs ... 20Card.pdf

Christine Gordillo
Communications Coordinator
Lakewood City Schools

Ms. Gordillo,

These links are 2 and 1/2 years old and pertain to a mobile unit, not a Cleveland Clinic "Student Based Health Center" inside LHS in newly designed medical office space. Is there anything else in the public record that you can add?

Can you confirm that there is currently 1300 square feet of newly constructed medical office space that includes two exam rooms with sinks, a waiting room and a supply room that will be used as a Student Based Health Center inside the high school?

Mr. Essi, yes your site specs are correct. Regarding documentation for the LHS center, the Board will be introducing the agreement at its Aug. 21 Board meeting. The documents I linked were chosen to show that the initial partnership was discussed openly.

Christine Gordillo
Communications & PR Coordinator
Lakewood City Schools

I am with the general consensus here that there appears to be more to this story than what is on the surface.

While the health center may be a noble idea, everyone seems to have overlooked one point: is it really beneficial to send ill children to school? Even if the center can prescribe medication, said medication does not take effect instantly. Antibiotics can take 24 to 48 hours to begin working. This seems like an invitation for LHS to become the germ capital of Lakewood (more so than schools in general already are).

When everyone becomes ill, the issue can be declared an epidemic, which can lead to a school shutdown.

I also agree that this appears to have been done behind closed doors. In my opinion, one meeting and a mailer from almost three years ago do not constitute an "open process".

Our elected officials appear to be looking worse and worse day by day.

My kids will not be able to us this center because we are Metro. Even if we could use it, I would never want them to see a doctor without me.

I don't understand how this could be supported when Metrohealth serves such a large part of the population?

I had to drive to Westpark this morning for our sports physicals because Metro moved from the INA building and left Lakewood. In previous years we would bike there.

Christine Gordillo wrote:Mr. Essi, yes your site specs are correct. Regarding documentation for the LHS center, the Board will be introducing the agreement at its Aug. 21 Board meeting. The documents I linked were chosen to show that the initial partnership was discussed openly.

Christine Gordillo
Communications & PR Coordinator
Lakewood City Schools

Ms. Gordillo,

I take your response as an acknowledgement that there is nothing more that has been publicly disclosed or publicly deliberated to arrive at what you have characterized as an "agreement" being introduced by "the Board", i.e. a public body. I understand there was a slide show presentation at LHS orientation this week that referred to a "Cleveland Clinic Health Center" in LHS.

I am confused as to the words you have chosen suggesting an "initial partnership" of years ago, i.e. the mobile unit and now in 2017 an "agreement" pertaining newly constructed medical office space owned by the City Schools and apparently being leased to CCF for no rental payment.

May I suggest a crude analogy to point to my concerns: if McDonald's was permitted to have a food truck in the school parking lot that would be one thing. But if the schools built space to McDonald's specifications inside the school and leased the space for no payment of rent, may I suggest that is an entirely different matter--likely requiring a formal selection process, RFQs and/or some form of public decision making process.

Here we have a private business entity, CCF, given valuable rights and property to the exclusive of its competitors and at taxpayer expense which entity will be referred paying patients by the school system and be given access to our children, school faculty and parents for the purpose of making a profit and with the effect of creating a competitive advantage in Lakewood pediatrics and other areas for CCF.

To make matters worse, the private entity is the same entity that closed our hospital that once protected our children.

So, the Superintendent's report of several years ago does not suffice for an open and dleberative process now in 2017. Especially since CCF is now abandoning the most vulnerable among our children, i.e. those on Medicaid insurance programs etc.

Ms. Gordillo:

Since there are 1300 square feet of space designated for a Clinic Clinic unit inside a school that our tax dollars paid for, is the Clinic being charged rental or a lease agreement that included some income for the school system. Or did the Clinic contribute construction costs and build out costs for this captured space that will enhance its bottom line?

Will the school system get an annual percentage of the fees collected by the Clinic?

Christine Gordillo wrote:Regarding documentation for the LHS center, the Board will be introducing the agreement at its Aug. 21 Board meeting. The documents I linked were chosen to show that the initial partnership was discussed openly.

Christine Gordillo
Communications & PR Coordinator
Lakewood City Schools

I think the frustration here and in the community comes from the common practice of our elected officials "introducing" agreements after they are already "done deals." In the presentation Betsy references at the beginning of this discussion, it was very clear that all of the pieces are in place.

As a citizen, my question is:

Was an open formal bidding process conducted for the delivery of these services to the school system?

Here, no need to wait for the response from the Clinic cheerleaders.

"Aren't we lucky! Look what the Cleveland Clinic is doing for us! World class healthcare right in our schools! What could be finer?"

Do these same people so enamored by the Cleveland Clinic, most all Democrats, also support Toby Cosgrove's blind allegiance to President Trump after his heinous Charlottesville comments? Even as other prominent business people pulled their association, Cosgrove hung in.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.recode ... con-valley

Do these same Clinic sycophants support Cosgrove and the Clinic continuing to hold the fundraising gala at Trump's Mar-a-Lago despite online petition drives and protests to relocate the event?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washin ... story.html

The Cleveland Clinic is the most overrated medical institution in the United States. The USNEWS rankings are manipulated by the big players and they basically buy their way into a high rank. Lots of credible agencies know this and pay no attention to them as they are more of a popularity contest than an actual indicator of quality.

Here's a more unbiased look at hospital rankings. You'll see real outcomes and safety data. It's not the only one out there that disputes the Clinics USNews ranking. Use Google and do some research.


http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/2 ... -Comparion