Lifebanc Engages Cleveland Clinic To Provide Medical Director Support
(PDF) Lifebanc Engages Cleveland Clinic to Provide Medical Director Support
Contact:
Elaine Heffernan, 716.548.9505, eheffernan@hellocle.com
Andrea Pacetti, 216.316.3040, pacetta@ccf.org
Lifebanc Engages Cleveland Clinic to Provide Medical Director Support
Medical Directors will also support local intensive care doctors in communicating with families
CLEVELAND (Jan. 30, 2024) – Lifebanc, Northeast Ohio’s organ procurement organization, engaged Cleveland Clinic to provide medical director services on behalf of Lifebanc for the region beginning Feb. 1. These new services aim to expand assistance to physicians caring for patients at the end of life who may be eligible for organ donation. A team of Cleveland Clinic’s adult and pediatric intensive care physicians will now be on call as Lifebanc Medical Directors during times when they are not caring for patients.
The medical director on call will review organ suitability and advise on an appropriate path forward and support local physicians throughout the region. The expansion of medical director roles allows for an additional layer of guidance as the medical director will be able to provide specialized clinical expertise for all locations served by Lifebanc.
The Medical Directors have also received specialized training focused on how to support intensive care physicians who are caring for patients who may be eligible donors, ensuring they can help families make informed decisions.
“We are committed to ensuring that every family has the opportunity to consider organ donation by facilitating meaningful and open communication,” said Beri Ridgeway, M.D., Chief of Staff at Cleveland Clinic. “We must honor donor decisions and empower families to make informed choices regarding organ donation while maintaining the highest ethical standards.”
The physicians will have the ability to provide support to hospitals across Northeast Ohio and all locations served by Lifebanc.
“This innovative collaboration marks a significant milestone in our commitment to expanding support for patients during their end-of-life care in Northeast Ohio,” explains Gordon Bowen, CEO at Lifebanc. “By harnessing the expertise of these intensive care doctors, our Medical Directors will be able to provide an invaluable layer of guidance, ensuring optimal care and consideration for organ donation eligibility.”
Lifebanc serves over 4 million people and works with 80 hospitals in a 20-county area facilitating organ, eye and tissue recovery. While life-saving transplants have been increasing, there remains a significant shortage of donor organs. Currently, there are more than 100,000 people waiting for an organ transplant across the country and more than 3,000 waiting in Ohio.
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. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 77,000 employees worldwide are more than 5,658 salaried physicians and researchers, and 19,000 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,699-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, more than 275 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2022, there were 12.8 million outpatient encounters, 303,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 270,000 surgeries and procedures 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.
About Lifebanc
Lifebanc is Northeast Ohio’s non-profit organ, eye and tissue recovery organization with a mission to save and heal lives. The organization serves over 4 million people and works with 80 hospitals in a 20-county area. Lifebanc facilitates the organ, eye and tissue recovery and donation processes, provides extensive care and support services to donor families, as well as coordinates community outreach and education programs to encourage registration on the Ohio Donor Registry. For more information on Lifebanc or to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor visit www.lifebanc.org.
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