Op-Ed: The Cleveland Clinic Chooses Sprawl over Healthy Communities

A scathing critique of the land use, development, and transportation decisions of the Cleveland Clinic calls out the medical center for neglecting its role in the prioritizing healthy communities.

1 minute read

February 12, 2015, 8:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"Disappointing but not entirely surprising news from the Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland’s largest employer recently announced that it is closing Lakewood Hospital, in the cozy inner ring suburb, as it expands operations in sprawling Avon," according to a post by Angie Schmitt for Rustwire.

"This seems to be fitting with the nonprofit’s model of building a new hospital at every interchange opened in the sprawling hinterlands while winding down its hospital locations in the more populous areas of the region."

Especially telling to Schmitt is the decision to build a $36 million parking garage. She notes that there are several options that the hospital could have chosen more in line with its mission of providing quality healthcare, including rewards for employees who carpool and providing incentives for employees to live near their work. About these ides and the others Schmitt offers, she notes hurts the hospital's employees and the surrounding community.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015 in RustWire

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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