University Circle

metrohealth and cia host aids memorial quilt
If a quilt panel were created to represent your life, what would it look like? Clevelanders have the opportunity to see panels that honor the lives of local people who have died of AIDS -- panels created by their family and friends for the national AIDS Memorial Quilt. The public is invited to view portions of the quilt at MetroHealth Medical Center until Wednesday, Dec. 7. 
 
Among the local stories behind the panels: Ana Rodriguez was a spirited young girl who found out she was born HIV positive just before her parents died of AIDS in the late 1990s. Instead of letting it get her down, Ana became the first child to openly have AIDS in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and toured the country helping others cope with the disease before her death in 2004.
 
Daily viewing of the quilt panels -- 8 panel sections measuring 12 square feet -- will hang from the ceiling of MetroHealth’s Rammelkamp Atrium through Dec. 7. The public is invited to view the display each day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For more info click here.
trial led by cleveland clinic touted in wall street journal
"A study involving Eli Lilly & Co.'s experimental drug evacetrapib showed it was able to boost good cholesterol levels while lowering the bad kind," writes Jennifer Corbett Dooren for the Wall Street Journal.
 
"The study was presented Tuesday at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It was funded by Eli Lilly and led by doctors at the Cleveland Clinic."
 
Evacetrapib is designed to inhibit cholesteryl ester transfer protein, or CETP, which is involved in transferring cholesterol particles from HDL -- the "good" cholesterol -- to LDL, referred to as "bad" cholesterol.

Read the rest here.
q & a: larry miller, president of global cleveland
"My primary objective is to bring 100,000 newcomers to Northeast Ohio," says Larry Miller, newly appointed president of Global Cleveland. Miller brings more than 25 years of talent attraction and international human resources experience to the organization tasked with promoting the quality of life in and around Cleveland.
evergreen co-ops -- aka the cleveland model -- in the news
"Conventional wisdom holds that the forward-looking coastal enclaves of the United States are where we're supposed to expect cutting edge experiments in building a green economy," writes Andrew Leonard for Grist. "But if Ted Howard has his way, every activist who wants to promote green jobs and economic growth should turn instead to the city of Cleveland, Ohio, for inspiration."

In an article titled, "A co-op movement grows in Cleveland," Leonard writes of the Evergreen Cooperatives, which were launched by the Cleveland Foundation in collaboration with Ted Howard from the University of Maryland.

Evergreen is a collection of worker-owned green businesses that leverage the needs of Cleveland's largest institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, and University Hospitals.

Read the rest of the good news here.
cleveland clinic's focus on patient satisfaction lauded in wall street journal
In an article on the increased focus on patient satisfaction at hospitals, Wall Street Journal writer Laura Landro highlights positive measures taken at The Cleveland Clinic.
 
Titled "A Financial Incentive for Better Bedside Manner," the feature illustrates how a patient's opinion of a hospital is greatly shaped by how they are treated both in and out of the operating room.
 
"Cleveland Clinic Chief Executive Delos "Toby" Cosgrove, a heart surgeon by training, says he had an epiphany several years ago at a Harvard Business School seminar, where a young woman raised her hand and told him that despite the clinic's stellar medical reputation, her grandfather had chosen to go elsewhere for surgery because 'we heard you don't have empathy.'" Landro writes.
 
To improve the Clinic's patient-satisfaction scores, which ranked below the national average, the hospital opened an Office of Patient Experience, and began putting "caregiver" on the badges of all employees. More than 40,000 staffers -- from doctors to parking attendants -- were put through training programs on delivering ideal patient experiences. The hospital launched HEART -- hear the concern, empathize, apologize, respond and thank. It developed a Healing Services team to offer complimentary light massages, aromatherapy, spiritual care and other holistic services. There were more than 18,000 services offered in 2010.
 
Since 2008, the Cleveland Clinic's overall hospital ratings have increased by 89%. And compared to last year, the annual volume of complaints the hospital has received will show a 5% decline over last year.

Check out the rest of the report here.
we live here (now): deba gray and serena harragin, gray's auctioneers
The odyssey that led Deba Gray and Serena Harragin, the couple behind Gray's Auctioneers, to Cleveland is as fascinating as the work they do. The journey, which ends in Lakewood, meandered through Key West and Chicago. It includes a career change in New York, a heart-wrenching epiphany, and the convincing of a reluctant partner.
tiny giant studio helps local animators sharpen their skills
Dave Fleischer loves to draw. As a self-described “lifelong animator,” the creative director and president of Tiny Giant Studio has dreams of growing into a full-service animation production studio. And he’s using his passion to attract local talent to his company by hosting a speed-drawing class at Shaker LaunchHouse.
 
The class, held on Thursday nights, is designed to help potential animators hone their skills. Actors from the CWRU theater department silently act out a skit -- holding each pose for two minutes -- while participants sketch out the poses. The sketches are then transformed into an animatic skit using animation software.
 
“The more comfortable you are about drawing fast and not really caring about any one drawing, the better you will be as an animator,” explains Fleischer. “It’s a wonderful tool for building animation skills.”
 
While local animators sharpen their skills, Fleisher scouts out local talent. “Our goal is to grow in size as an animation studio,” he says. He currently runs Tiny Giant with five of his former Cleveland Institute of Art students. “The best way to grow talented people around you is by planting a seed and nurturing it. If I spot really talented people, they can freelance with us or, if they’re young, they can intern.”
 
About 15 people attended the first speed-drawing event held in October. Fleischer plans to continue to host the event twice a month.

 
Source: Dave Fleischer
Writer: Karin Connelly
cleveland clinic unveils top 10 medical innovations for 2012
Unveiled during the recent 2011 Medical Innovation Summit, the Cleveland Clinic announced the Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2012. The list of breakthrough devices and therapies was selected by a panel of Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists.
 
Nominated innovations were required to: Have significant potential for short-term clinical impact; Have a high probability of success; Be on the market or close to being introduced; Have sufficient data available to support its nomination.
 
Among them are:
 
Genetically modified mosquitoes to reduce disease threat.
 
Novel diabetes therapy that represents a paradigm shift in diabetes treatment.
 
Harnessing big data to improve heath care.
 
Active bionic prosthesis with microprocessors and computer chips that can rival the functionality provided by biological limbs.
 
Implantable devices to treat complex brain aneurysms.
 
Next-generation gene sequencing to get to the root cause of serious illness.
 
Medical apps for mobile devices.
 
Concussion management system for athletes that provide patient-specific guidance about when athletes can return to play without risk of further harm.
 
CT Scans for early detection of lung cancer.

Read the full report here.
 
midtown tech park and health-tech corridor designed to stem outward flow of medical start-ups
Every year, Cleveland’s emerging healthcare economy nourishes dozens of successful medical start-ups. Unfortunately, as many of these firms grow, they are forced to relocate to the 'burbs or out of the region entirely because of a lack of flexible, tech-ready urban space. Now, thanks to the MidTown Tech Park -- and Health-Tech Corridor -- start-ups have good reason to stick around.
cleveland clinic's cole eye institute receives $3m endowed chair
Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute received a $3 million gift from Barbara and A. Malachi Mixon III in recognition of the sight-saving care Mr. Mixon received at the Institute.

The gift establishes the Barbara and A. Malachi Mixon III Institute Chair in Ophthalmology. Daniel F. Martin, MD, Chairman of Cole Eye Institute, is being honored as the first physician to hold the newly established chair. As chair holder, Dr. Martin will continue his research initiatives to better understand eye diseases and to pioneer new treatments.

“We are grateful for the generosity of the Mixon family,” Dr. Martin said. “This gift will provide resources to advance our research efforts, including increasing involvement in clinical trials and serving as a catalyst for cutting-edge research programs.”

Read the rest of the good news here.
the write stuff: new breed of creative writing workshops inspires next gen of indie thinkers
In Cleveland, some wide-eyed literary activists are launching a new form of creative writing workshops. Not only will these programs measurably improve the writing and verbal skills of the students who enroll, they are inspiring youth to discover worlds beyond their own. In turn, these programs very well might be providing the keys to future success.
3rd frontier funding helps company increase donor kidney odds, cleveland jobs
Quality Electrodynamics (QED) was one of the local recipients of Ohio Third Frontier funding for the development of an imaging system that will improve the way doctors evaluate whether a kidney is viable for donation.
 
The Cleveland-based company, working with the Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological Institute, CWRU, Toshiba Medical Systems and Canon, received $1 million for the development of specialty MRI coils for imaging donor kidneys before transplant to determine viability.
 
Currently, potentially viable kidneys are sometimes rejected for transplant, or there are complications after transplant. This technology will improve the chances of success as well as reduce the number of kidneys that are thrown away.
 
“The program will result in a turnkey system of equipment, analysis software and clinical protocols which will be marketed to transplant centers on a worldwide basis,” says John L. Patrick, chief technical marketing officer for QED.

“Recipients of kidneys from deceased donors would benefit in several ways: Higher confidence level that the transplanted kidney can be viable and better knowledge of its condition; increase of transplanted kidneys by reducing the number of viable kidneys discarded will increase the number of patients able to benefit from transplantation.”
 
Patrick says the technology should be on the market in less than two years, depending on how clinical trials go. QED expects to begin hiring additional people for development of the technology in the next few months.

“In the proposal we stated that 38 jobs would be created at QED within 3 years,” says Patrick. “In fact, we believe that number to be quite conservative.”
 
 
Source: John L. Patrick
Writer: Karin Connelly
in preparation for sale, contents of pnc smarthome up for bid
For the past four months, visitors to the PNC SmartHome exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History enjoyed a prototype of an ultra energy-efficient abode that stays comfy year-round without need of a furnace. In Cleveland.

In preparation for the home's move and eventual sale, many of the interior artwork and furnishings -- much of it sustainably produced -- will be offered for sale to the public. Designed by Cleveland-based Doty & Miller Architects, the house was as attractive inside and out as it is green.

Items include work by artists such as Susie Frazier, Judith Brandon, Nicole McGee, Liz Maugans and Charlotte Lees.
The sale will be help Sunday, October 9, noon to 4 p.m.

For a more info, including a list of items up for sale, visit here.
four neo organizations score $37m federal grant
Four Northeast Ohio organizations are one group of just 20 national winners of the Obama administration's $37 million Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge, a multi-agency competition to support the advancement of high-growth industry clusters across the country.
 
NorTech, JumpStart, MAGNET and Lorain County Community College came together to cooperatively apply for the $2 million grant that will help create jobs in the region. The program, the Northeast Ohio Speed-To-Market Accelerator (STMA), is designed to accelerate the speed-to-market for near-production or pilot-production prototypes in the advanced energy and flexible electronics industry clusters in Northeast Ohio.
 
The fact that the groups collaborated on the project is no surprise.

“There’s a history of organization in this region -- we work together collaboratively all the time,” says Cathy Belk, chief relationship officer with JumpStart. “The fact that we already knew each other made it easy to identify the needs and work together on the proposal.”
 
Each organization will assist in its area of expertise, from company advising to workforce development. The STMA consists of three components, explains Byron Clayton, vice president of NorTech. “The first step is holding outreach workshops to let companies know the service areas we are targeting. The second step is one-on-one counseling and a path-to-market analysis. The third step is to deliver the services.”
 
Aside from offering expertise and guidance, the four groups plan to speed up the jobs creation process within new companies. “We are asking what can we do to help you to speed this process up,” says Clayton. “We’re working together as a region, as a network of nationally-recognized organizations.”

 
Sources: Cathy Belk, Byron Clayton
Writer: Karin Connelly
china-based investment of $100m will go to american and cleveland biomeds
A new partnership between a leading China-based biomedical development company and the Cleveland Bio Fund (CbF) will result in a $100 million fund to invest in U.S companies, including those in Cleveland. The Cleveland Bio Fund will help identify and invest in small- to mid-size medical device companies looking to enter the Chinese market.

“[Cleveland Bio Fund] will provide both capital and know-how for device companies looking to expand their products into China. It is a unique boutique style investment strategy needed for that market,” explains Eddy Zai, CEO of CbF

Executives are traveling to Cleveland this week to meet local officials, tour the Health Tech Corridor, and meet with companies that could take advantage of this unique business model.

Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson welcomes the investment in Cleveland from China.

"Investments in the City of Cleveland are good, whether they are made locally or by foreign investors. We welcome the opportunity to partner with the Cleveland Bio Fund as it will better connect Cleveland to the global economy," said Mayor Frank Jackson.

Read the rest here.
cleveland's new generation of entrepreneurs featured on 'state of the re:union'
Launched in 2009, "State of the Re:Union" is a public radio program that sets out to explore what American cities are doing to create community in light of challenging circumstances. In this episode on Cleveland, the hosts delve into how a new generation of entrepreneurs is helping to transform the city.
 
"Cleveland, Ohio is a city that was made by entrepreneurs, but for decades, it’s been known as a city that’s a shell of its former manufacturing-era glorious self. However, Cleveland is being embraced by a new generation of entrepreneurs as a place to put their dreams in motion."
 
In large because it is an affordable city, argues observers, Cleveland is birthing a new wave of entrepreneurs who have less to risk than they would in pricier metros.
 
"Cleveland is a city of second chances," says Councilman Jay Westbrook.
 
This engaging broadcast includes Ray Petro of Ray MTB, Jennifer Coleman of CityProwl, Ray Leach of JumpStart, Evergreen Cooperatives, plus many others
 
Listen to the whole thing here.
company's ad-supported printing is win-win for both libraries and users
Ryan Clark and Nathan Lambert know how to sell advertising. They also figured out a way to help libraries offset printing costs. The co-founders of Knowta, a Shaker LaunchHouse portfolio company, have created a unique print ad system that runs ads at the bottom of a page that users print out at the library.
 
The concept is brilliantly simple: Users elect to receive the advertising in exchange for free or discounted printing. Instead of receiving documents on typical 8.5" x 11" paper, they are printed on 8.5" x 14" paper, with the bottom three inches featuring a perforated section of full-color ads. Advertisers are able to tailor or change their ads at will to fit the time of day, content or location of the user’s document.
 
“Libraries are really challenged by economic models,” says Lambert. “Knowta meets those challenges with sustainable printing.” A portion of the revenue collected from the ads goes back to the library to offset printing costs and other expenses. Lambert and Clark have already secured contracts with local merchants around the Case campus.
 
Knowta will launch its product in CWRU’s Kelvin Smith Library in October, followed by a launch in the Cuyahoga County Public Library system later this fall. While Lambert and Clark plan to expand in Northeast Ohio, they also have plans to sell their product outside of the region.
 
“As we grow we’ll be growing within the region with additional locations within the Cuyahoga County Library system and the higher education market within Northeast Ohio, with a few target markets outside Northeast Ohio,” says Clark.
 
The company has one full-time employee, with plans to hire regional sales reps as they continue to expand.
 

Source: Ryan Clark and Nathan Lambert
Writer: Karin Connelly
museum of art and bidwell collaboration for cross-town gallery makes cross-country news
A recent article published in the Houston Chronicle covers the newly announced collaboration between Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell, private art collectors, and the Cleveland Museum of Art to open a gallery on the near-west side.

To be housed in an attractive brick building that long housed a transformer station, the 3,500-square-foot gallery is expected to open in late 2012.

"The boxy brick station, located in a blue-collar neighborhood across the Cuyahoga River from downtown Cleveland, was built in 1924 to provide power for streetcars. It was used as a transformer station until 1949 and later housed an art foundry.
The museum said it expects to present at least two shows per year at the location."

David Franklin, the museum's director, is quoted as saying, "The project would enhance CMA's reputation for contemporary art and community involvement "in creative, unexpected ways."

Read the rest here.
today's showcase in the circle to highlight region's assets
On its inaugural year, University Circle's Showcase in the Circle & Circle Home Tour attracted over 400 people. For its second act, organizers anticipate much larger crowds.
 
"The size of the event is expected to grow this year given the amount of residential and commercial development happening right now in the Circle," says Erika McLaughlin, Public Affairs Manager for University Circle Inc.
 
The purpose behind this free event is to “showcase” the fact that University Circle and its surrounding neighborhoods are not only great places to visit, but also to live, work and do business.
 
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and greet more than 50 exhibitors that range from small businesses and financial institutions to nonprofits and world-class museums, all of which call University Circle home.
 
Following the event at Judson Manor, guests will be "Lolly the Trolleyed" to various homes, housing and hotel options in University Circle.
 
The Showcase takes place today at Judson Manor (1890 E. 107th St.) from 3 to 7 p.m.
 
For more info, click here.
$2.5m third frontier funding will help phillips save lives, create jobs
CWRU, University Hospitals and Phillips Healthcare are collaborating on two medical imaging projects that will help with early breast cancer detection and post heart attack evaluation. The collaboration received two grants from the Third Frontier for a combined total of $2.5 million. The projects are part of the Philips Healthcare Global Advanced Imaging Innovation Center.
 
One of the research projects, led by Ray Muzic, associate professor of radiology, oncology and biomedical engineering at CWRU, combines PET and MRI technologies for more accurate mammograms. “It benefits women with early detection of breast cancer with low-coast, low-risk mammograms,” he says. “It provides spot-on imaging and reduces false positives.”
 
The new technology uses glucose to detect tumor growth. “A tumor that’s growing rapidly uses a lot of glucose,” explains Muzic. “We’re trying to look at the functional differences, not the structural differences. It could eliminate the need for needle biopsies."
 
The other project, led by David Wilson, professor of biomedical engineering and radiology at CWRU, develops a cardiac perfusion imaging, which will measure blood flow in the heart to determine if there is reduced blood flow in the heart following a heart attack.
 
Not only will these technologies help in the prevention and treatment of disease, they will bring jobs to the area.

“Phillips will sell more scanners, which will create more jobs and revenue in Northeast Ohio, all while improving women’s health,” says Muzic. He expects production to being in three to five years.


Source: Raymond Muzic
Writer: Karin Connelly