Some said it would never happen, but the day is finally arriving: A groundbreaking ceremony for the Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center takes
place this Friday, January 14. Construction has already gotten underway
near Lakeside Avenue, though, signifying that the much-anticipated,
often-controversial $465 million project will become a reality.
Completion of the project is expected to be sometime in 2013.
For many, the building's external progress will be almost as significant as the list of committed exhibitors inside. According to MMPI, the Chicago-based trade show and property management firm, the first 40-plus companies that have signed letters of intent to lease showroom space will be also be revealed on January 14. According to Dave Johnson, spokesperson for the Medical Mart, 31 conferences and trade shows have also committed to hosting their events in the new convention center.
The Medical Mart is targeting healthcare manufacturers and service providers to show off their wares and services inside the complex. The latest innovations and products are likely to be housed within the facility. The interiors will feature 235,000 square feet of display space, 60,000 square feet of meeting rooms, 230,000 square feet for exhibitions and a 30,000-square-foot ballroom.
SOURCE: Dave Johnson,
Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
For many, the building's external progress will be almost as significant as the list of committed exhibitors inside. According to MMPI, the Chicago-based trade show and property management firm, the first 40-plus companies that have signed letters of intent to lease showroom space will be also be revealed on January 14. According to Dave Johnson, spokesperson for the Medical Mart, 31 conferences and trade shows have also committed to hosting their events in the new convention center.
The Medical Mart is targeting healthcare manufacturers and service providers to show off their wares and services inside the complex. The latest innovations and products are likely to be housed within the facility. The interiors will feature 235,000 square feet of display space, 60,000 square feet of meeting rooms, 230,000 square feet for exhibitions and a 30,000-square-foot ballroom.
SOURCE: Dave Johnson,
Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
E pluribus unum. If this motto hadn't already been snatched for the United States seal, it might have worked nicely for Cleveland's Corporate United. The group-purchasing organization manages the contracts and suppliers of its member companies, which include Akron General Health System, Caribou Coffee, Malt-o-Meal, PolyOne, Progressive, Sherwin Williams and Toro.
According to president Marc Rosen, the purchasing strength of the companies it serves fuels Corporate United's growth. "As a member-based organization, we measure success by the bottom-line value we generate for our members. This value leads to the positive growth of Corporate United as a whole," Rosen says.
Corporate United enjoyed 91 percent growth in 2010, and was recognized locally and nationally for its efforts. Corporate United ranked 56 on the Weatherhead 100, was named a Crain's Leading EDGE award winner for its service to a 17-county region in Northeast Ohio and made it onto Inc's list of the 5,000 fastest-growing small- to mid-sized companies in America. Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine also recognized Corporate United for its role in preparing member companies for post-recessionary growth.
Corporate United added three members to its staff last year, and plans to make another new hire in the first half of 2011.
Source: Corporate United
Writer: Diane DiPiero
According to president Marc Rosen, the purchasing strength of the companies it serves fuels Corporate United's growth. "As a member-based organization, we measure success by the bottom-line value we generate for our members. This value leads to the positive growth of Corporate United as a whole," Rosen says.
Corporate United enjoyed 91 percent growth in 2010, and was recognized locally and nationally for its efforts. Corporate United ranked 56 on the Weatherhead 100, was named a Crain's Leading EDGE award winner for its service to a 17-county region in Northeast Ohio and made it onto Inc's list of the 5,000 fastest-growing small- to mid-sized companies in America. Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine also recognized Corporate United for its role in preparing member companies for post-recessionary growth.
Corporate United added three members to its staff last year, and plans to make another new hire in the first half of 2011.
Source: Corporate United
Writer: Diane DiPiero
JumpStart Ventures closed out 2010 strong, adding to its portfolio and making second investments in two existing companies. A $250,000 investment in Cleveland-based MedCity Media, formerly MedCity News, will allow the online news service to expand its healthcare-specific content to Philadelphia and Raleigh/Durham. JumpStart Ventures president, Lynn-Ann Gries, says that MedCity's media model has created a unique niche in the industry.
JumpStart also announced an investment in another Cleveland company, Caralon Global. This startup is producing a thermal insulating material that because of its ultra-thin design can be used in very small spaces. Caralon Global received a loan in early 2010 from Cuyahoga County's North Coast Opportunities (NCO) Technology Fund, which allowed the company to create molds for the manufacturing process.
JumpStart also showed support for the continued growth of two of its existing portfolio companies: Tursiop Technologies and OnShift. Tursiop Technologies received a second investment of $150,000 for the development of its MRI coil devices. OnShift, which provides employee scheduling and communications technology, also received a $150,000 second investment from JumpStart. That was part of a total $2.3 million venture capital investment rounds in OnShift.
In 2010 alone, JumpStart invested in 15 companies, with a total financial offering of more than $3 million.
SOURCE: JumpStart Ventures
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
JumpStart also announced an investment in another Cleveland company, Caralon Global. This startup is producing a thermal insulating material that because of its ultra-thin design can be used in very small spaces. Caralon Global received a loan in early 2010 from Cuyahoga County's North Coast Opportunities (NCO) Technology Fund, which allowed the company to create molds for the manufacturing process.
JumpStart also showed support for the continued growth of two of its existing portfolio companies: Tursiop Technologies and OnShift. Tursiop Technologies received a second investment of $150,000 for the development of its MRI coil devices. OnShift, which provides employee scheduling and communications technology, also received a $150,000 second investment from JumpStart. That was part of a total $2.3 million venture capital investment rounds in OnShift.
In 2010 alone, JumpStart invested in 15 companies, with a total financial offering of more than $3 million.
SOURCE: JumpStart Ventures
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The Garland Co. may not be a household name to everyone in Cleveland,
but the fact is that the company has been providing roofing solutions
for businesses, industrial facilities and public properties for about
115 years. "Garland has a great local story to tell," says Brain
Lambert, director of products and systems. That story involves having a
presence in the area since 1895, a reputation for innovation that
includes green building and a common sense approach to business that has
resulted in zero layoffs during tough economic times.
An employee-owned business, Garland makes products for new construction, renovation, retrofit and maintenance projects. The company also services companies through engineering, design-build construction management and computerized roof asset management. Garland has been "going green" before it was a popular thing to do. In the mid-1990s, Garland introduced a modified roofing system using post-consumer recycled tires. Garland Energy Systems, Inc., created as a subsidiary of the company in 2007, focuses solely on alternative energy solutions such as thin-film solar rooftop cells.
Being forward-thinking while respecting its strong history seems to be a successful combination for Garland, which has received numerous awards and recognitiions over the last year. Garland's Green-Lock product, a polymer-based, VOC-free flood coat, made it to the list of Top Products of 2010 by Building Operation Management magazine. Garland has also been named to the North Coast 99 list of best places to work for 11 years in a row.
SOURCE: The Garland Co.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
An employee-owned business, Garland makes products for new construction, renovation, retrofit and maintenance projects. The company also services companies through engineering, design-build construction management and computerized roof asset management. Garland has been "going green" before it was a popular thing to do. In the mid-1990s, Garland introduced a modified roofing system using post-consumer recycled tires. Garland Energy Systems, Inc., created as a subsidiary of the company in 2007, focuses solely on alternative energy solutions such as thin-film solar rooftop cells.
Being forward-thinking while respecting its strong history seems to be a successful combination for Garland, which has received numerous awards and recognitiions over the last year. Garland's Green-Lock product, a polymer-based, VOC-free flood coat, made it to the list of Top Products of 2010 by Building Operation Management magazine. Garland has also been named to the North Coast 99 list of best places to work for 11 years in a row.
SOURCE: The Garland Co.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
ohio technical college adds performance-vehicle training with new edelbrock academy
Preparing students to excel at classic car restoration, collision repair and refinishing, and custom paint and graphics is what Ohio Technical College (OTC) has been doing in Cleveland for years.
Through a new partnership with Edelbrock, a manufacturer and distributor of performance vehicle replacement parts, students can now master the finer points of building and tuning America's latest obsession: muscle cars and performance vehicles. OTC and Edelbrock recently announced the founding of the Edelbrock Academy.
OTC, an accredited, private, post-secondary technical college, already offers a full catalog of courses in automotive care, including alternative-fuel vehicles. The college, established in 1969, has more than 1,000 students currently enrolled at its MidTown campus. The founding of the new Edelbrock Academy will add to OTC's offerings by providing the skills necessary to make the jump to the muscle car and performance vehicle market.
The "mascot" of the Edelbrock Academy is a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, which was built entirely by OTC students. For the next several months, the Chevy Bel Air will travel around the country to high schools and car shows as part of OTC's promotion of the Edelbrock Academy.
Source: Ohio Technical College
Writer: Diane DiPiero
Through a new partnership with Edelbrock, a manufacturer and distributor of performance vehicle replacement parts, students can now master the finer points of building and tuning America's latest obsession: muscle cars and performance vehicles. OTC and Edelbrock recently announced the founding of the Edelbrock Academy.
OTC, an accredited, private, post-secondary technical college, already offers a full catalog of courses in automotive care, including alternative-fuel vehicles. The college, established in 1969, has more than 1,000 students currently enrolled at its MidTown campus. The founding of the new Edelbrock Academy will add to OTC's offerings by providing the skills necessary to make the jump to the muscle car and performance vehicle market.
The "mascot" of the Edelbrock Academy is a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, which was built entirely by OTC students. For the next several months, the Chevy Bel Air will travel around the country to high schools and car shows as part of OTC's promotion of the Edelbrock Academy.
Source: Ohio Technical College
Writer: Diane DiPiero
Personal frustration led Jeremy Handel to come up with his company's latest product: a gaming app for Apple's iOS platform.
"I subscribe to several gaming magazines, and I was finding that I would read game previews months in advance of the release," says the founder of Handelabra. At other times, games would come and go without Handel realizing it. He began tacking post-it notes on his computer as reminders of when games would be released, but when that became too cumbersome, Mandel realized a game-reminder app would be much more efficient.
GAME.minder, which is the result of a partnership with Case Western's student think tank Qube Lab, currently tracks more than 1,000 games. Thanks to the free, fully interactive app for iPhone/iOS, users can search and filter their favorite games by platform, title, popularity or release date. Setting a "RE.minder" tells GAME.minder to notify the user before a new game hits the shelves.
Handelabra has two other apps already on the market: StyleAssist, a photo-sharing app focused on hair styles; and Better Clock, a universal alarm clock app for iPhone and iPad. The three-person Handelabra team is currently focused on the iOS platform, according to Handel, who adds that the company's long-term goal "would be to bring successful products to other smartphone platforms like Android. We do not currently plan to extend our products to the desktop, preferring to focus on mobile exclusively."
SOURCE: Jeremy Handel
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
"I subscribe to several gaming magazines, and I was finding that I would read game previews months in advance of the release," says the founder of Handelabra. At other times, games would come and go without Handel realizing it. He began tacking post-it notes on his computer as reminders of when games would be released, but when that became too cumbersome, Mandel realized a game-reminder app would be much more efficient.
GAME.minder, which is the result of a partnership with Case Western's student think tank Qube Lab, currently tracks more than 1,000 games. Thanks to the free, fully interactive app for iPhone/iOS, users can search and filter their favorite games by platform, title, popularity or release date. Setting a "RE.minder" tells GAME.minder to notify the user before a new game hits the shelves.
Handelabra has two other apps already on the market: StyleAssist, a photo-sharing app focused on hair styles; and Better Clock, a universal alarm clock app for iPhone and iPad. The three-person Handelabra team is currently focused on the iOS platform, according to Handel, who adds that the company's long-term goal "would be to bring successful products to other smartphone platforms like Android. We do not currently plan to extend our products to the desktop, preferring to focus on mobile exclusively."
SOURCE: Jeremy Handel
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
It started out as Dyke College in the late 1800s. About 100 years later it became Myers University. The early 2000s proved somewhat tumultuous, but the school emerged under new leadership and with a new name: Chancellor University.
Name changes aside, the school has a rich history here in Cleveland, and it is using new forms of communication to spread the good news.
"Our Voice" is a new campaign by Chancellor University in which alumni provide video testimonials that can be tied into their own Facebook and Twitter pages.
In addition to touting the benefits of a Chancellor education, the "Our Voice" campaign also strives to help current students connect with possible job resources, explains Beth Bateman, Chancellor's director of student services. Students also have the opportunity to create a video detailing their area of study and their career goals. Linking current students with alumni who can mentor them or provide employment opportunities creates a valuable networking experience, Bateman adds.
The campaign can be viewed at Our Voice.
Source: Beth Bateman
Writer: Diane DiPiero
Name changes aside, the school has a rich history here in Cleveland, and it is using new forms of communication to spread the good news.
"Our Voice" is a new campaign by Chancellor University in which alumni provide video testimonials that can be tied into their own Facebook and Twitter pages.
In addition to touting the benefits of a Chancellor education, the "Our Voice" campaign also strives to help current students connect with possible job resources, explains Beth Bateman, Chancellor's director of student services. Students also have the opportunity to create a video detailing their area of study and their career goals. Linking current students with alumni who can mentor them or provide employment opportunities creates a valuable networking experience, Bateman adds.
The campaign can be viewed at Our Voice.
Source: Beth Bateman
Writer: Diane DiPiero
CLE equity firm riverside continues to make deals, grow staff
The Riverside Company is experiencing its strongest fourth quarter in the company's 22-year history. That, in addition to snagging Mergers & Acquisitions Journal's recent designation as "Private Equity Firm of the Year."
"It has been a remarkably busy time," admits Graham Hearns, director of marketing and communications for the Cleveland-based private equity firm. "We've had four or five acquisitions and a couple of business exits so far, and we could have as many as six or seven more transactions in the next two weeks."
Hearns attributes this growth to lenders once again offering money to businesses and to more realistic buyer and seller expectations.
For Riverside, this meant moving forward with company acquisitions that it has been researching in the midst of an economic downturn. "During the whole global financial crisis we never came to a standstill," Hearns says. "We are generalists, so we like to window shop."
Riverside has found success in maintaining its general portfolio while also beefing up two key areas of company acquisitions: healthcare and education and training. The company's latest investment is G&H Wire Company, a Franklin, Indiana-based manufacturer and supplier of orthodontic products. G&H becomes Riverside's 49th healthcare transaction. Overall, Riverside has made more than 200 acquisitions of companies with $200 million or less in enterprise value.
Riverside has 19 offices around the world, but Cleveland continues to be its largest with about 50 employees. "There's been a continuous growth of the Cleveland team," Hearns says, adding that Riverside hired about six new people in 2010 and expects to add about the same amount in the next year or so.
SOURCE: The Riverside Company
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
"It has been a remarkably busy time," admits Graham Hearns, director of marketing and communications for the Cleveland-based private equity firm. "We've had four or five acquisitions and a couple of business exits so far, and we could have as many as six or seven more transactions in the next two weeks."
Hearns attributes this growth to lenders once again offering money to businesses and to more realistic buyer and seller expectations.
For Riverside, this meant moving forward with company acquisitions that it has been researching in the midst of an economic downturn. "During the whole global financial crisis we never came to a standstill," Hearns says. "We are generalists, so we like to window shop."
Riverside has found success in maintaining its general portfolio while also beefing up two key areas of company acquisitions: healthcare and education and training. The company's latest investment is G&H Wire Company, a Franklin, Indiana-based manufacturer and supplier of orthodontic products. G&H becomes Riverside's 49th healthcare transaction. Overall, Riverside has made more than 200 acquisitions of companies with $200 million or less in enterprise value.
Riverside has 19 offices around the world, but Cleveland continues to be its largest with about 50 employees. "There's been a continuous growth of the Cleveland team," Hearns says, adding that Riverside hired about six new people in 2010 and expects to add about the same amount in the next year or so.
SOURCE: The Riverside Company
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
In a laboratory at Case Western Reserve University's
School of Medicine, Zhenghe John Wang and a team of researchers
developed a panel of new human isogenic cell models, which look much
like mutated cancer cells. Through these cell models, researchers can
get a handle on how cancer takes shape in the human body.
"We actually created a technology where we can add tags into cancer cells so we can track them," says Wang, assistant professor of genetics at Case's School of Medicine. Not only can this technology help researchers to better understand how cancer cells evolve, it can also provide assistance with cancer treatment programs, Wang says.
Now this process has an even greater chance of affecting cancer treatments, as medical research company Horizon Discovery has obtained exclusive rights to the panel of new human isogenic cell models. This means that the British medical research company will be able to add this technology to its existing models, which are used to predict patient response to current and future drug treatments.
Horizon Discovery has licensed the new cell models for ten years and will pay Case an initial fee, with rights to royalties from future product sales.
"We really wanted to work with someone interested in this technology," Wang says, adding that the agreement with Horizon Discovery will allow for research on a grander scale. Meanwhile, Wang and his team will continue to advance use of human isogenic cell models at Case. "Hopefully, we can make a big impact on cancer research," he says.
SOURCE: Case Western Reserve University
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
"We actually created a technology where we can add tags into cancer cells so we can track them," says Wang, assistant professor of genetics at Case's School of Medicine. Not only can this technology help researchers to better understand how cancer cells evolve, it can also provide assistance with cancer treatment programs, Wang says.
Now this process has an even greater chance of affecting cancer treatments, as medical research company Horizon Discovery has obtained exclusive rights to the panel of new human isogenic cell models. This means that the British medical research company will be able to add this technology to its existing models, which are used to predict patient response to current and future drug treatments.
Horizon Discovery has licensed the new cell models for ten years and will pay Case an initial fee, with rights to royalties from future product sales.
"We really wanted to work with someone interested in this technology," Wang says, adding that the agreement with Horizon Discovery will allow for research on a grander scale. Meanwhile, Wang and his team will continue to advance use of human isogenic cell models at Case. "Hopefully, we can make a big impact on cancer research," he says.
SOURCE: Case Western Reserve University
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
OnShift's employee scheduling software is designed for pain-free maintenance of shift, emergency, and on-call scheduling in the long-term healthcare industry. Clearly, hospitals and other long-term care providers have taken note, because the Cleveland-based company has been enjoying exponential growth of late. OnShift's customer acquisitions increased more than 500 percent year-over-year, and the software solutions company continues to add staffers.
A new $2.3 million venture capital investment will be used to accelerate OnShift's sales and marketing efforts while adding to its already expanding market share. This round of funding was led by Draper Triangle Ventures of Pittsburgh and involves all of OnShift's existing investors, which include local investors Early Stage Partners, JumpStart, Inc., North Coast Angel Fund, LLC, and Glengary LLC.
OnShift's software is used by hospitals and other long-term care facilities for automated scheduling, employee communications and automated call-off and open-shift scheduling. The company was recognized earlier this year by NEOSA, the COSE Technology Network, as Best Emerging Company.
Jonathan Murray, managing director of Early Stage Partners, notes that "OnShift has consistently delivered shareholder value by acquiring and serving customers and is on a significant growth trajectory." Bob Lauer, a partner with Glengary LLC, echoes the enthusiasm of other OnShift investors. "We are anticipating strong results in 2011 based on the use of new funding to expand and accelerate sales and marketing efforts," Lauer says.
SOURCE: OnShift
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
A new $2.3 million venture capital investment will be used to accelerate OnShift's sales and marketing efforts while adding to its already expanding market share. This round of funding was led by Draper Triangle Ventures of Pittsburgh and involves all of OnShift's existing investors, which include local investors Early Stage Partners, JumpStart, Inc., North Coast Angel Fund, LLC, and Glengary LLC.
OnShift's software is used by hospitals and other long-term care facilities for automated scheduling, employee communications and automated call-off and open-shift scheduling. The company was recognized earlier this year by NEOSA, the COSE Technology Network, as Best Emerging Company.
Jonathan Murray, managing director of Early Stage Partners, notes that "OnShift has consistently delivered shareholder value by acquiring and serving customers and is on a significant growth trajectory." Bob Lauer, a partner with Glengary LLC, echoes the enthusiasm of other OnShift investors. "We are anticipating strong results in 2011 based on the use of new funding to expand and accelerate sales and marketing efforts," Lauer says.
SOURCE: OnShift
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Prfessor.com officially launched this year, beckoning anybody who knows something about a subject to create an online course for the benefit of others. According to Jim Kukral, one of three owners of the Rocky River-based e-learning curriculum designer, "hundreds of thousands of visitors and students have experienced Prfessor." Topics currently on the site range from marketing to green living.
Now Prfessor is promoting the use of its online resource for businesses that want to educate staff without the expense and time-consuming nature of classroom-style training. Prfessor offers corporations, small businesses and nonprofits a variety of advanced interactive tools designed to encourage self-paced learning.
This style of training benefits both employer and employee, according to Kukral. " "Prfessor.com helps you control your costs as you improve the quality of your staff and they, in turn, improve profits by doing their jobs better selling more products, providing better customer service and leading their teams effectively," he says. "Prfessor allows anyone, without tech skills, to go out and teach what they know."
Businesses and organizations can take advantage of Prfessor by signing up online to create unlimited courses, develop quizzes to gauge students' understanding of topics and make use of A/V, PowerPoint and graphics to stimulate the learning process.
Kukral foresees strong growth in Prfessor's future, thanks to ever-expanding use of the Internet for educational purposes. "The market for education online is growing by leaps and bounds," Kukral says. Prfessor is designed to encourage users to "empty your head onto the Web," he adds.
SOURCE: Jim Kukral, Prfessor.com
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Now Prfessor is promoting the use of its online resource for businesses that want to educate staff without the expense and time-consuming nature of classroom-style training. Prfessor offers corporations, small businesses and nonprofits a variety of advanced interactive tools designed to encourage self-paced learning.
This style of training benefits both employer and employee, according to Kukral. " "Prfessor.com helps you control your costs as you improve the quality of your staff and they, in turn, improve profits by doing their jobs better selling more products, providing better customer service and leading their teams effectively," he says. "Prfessor allows anyone, without tech skills, to go out and teach what they know."
Businesses and organizations can take advantage of Prfessor by signing up online to create unlimited courses, develop quizzes to gauge students' understanding of topics and make use of A/V, PowerPoint and graphics to stimulate the learning process.
Kukral foresees strong growth in Prfessor's future, thanks to ever-expanding use of the Internet for educational purposes. "The market for education online is growing by leaps and bounds," Kukral says. Prfessor is designed to encourage users to "empty your head onto the Web," he adds.
SOURCE: Jim Kukral, Prfessor.com
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, Huntington Bank
led other lenders in Northeast Ohio in number of small business loans,
total dollars lent and amount of minority lending. This report from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Cleveland District Office signals the second year in a row that Huntington was the regional leader in loan support to small business owners.
In the past year, Huntington gave out 365 loans and $59 million, including $8 million in minority lending, in the Cleveland region.
These numbers indicate the bank's commitment to growing the local economy through financial lending to entrepreneurs and small business owners, according to Dan Walsh, regional president for Huntington in the Greater Cleveland Region. "Through Huntington's continued partnership with the SBA, we've helped businesses in Cleveland and across our markets retain and grow jobs, expand their services or buy new equipment and become stronger and better positioned for the future," he says.
"When we put dollars in the hands of local small business owners, new businesses can start or be rescued, jobs are created and our economy is jump started," Walsh adds.
Huntington is the fifth-largest SBA lender in the country in number of loans, according to bank sources.
SOURCE: Huntington Bank
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
In the past year, Huntington gave out 365 loans and $59 million, including $8 million in minority lending, in the Cleveland region.
These numbers indicate the bank's commitment to growing the local economy through financial lending to entrepreneurs and small business owners, according to Dan Walsh, regional president for Huntington in the Greater Cleveland Region. "Through Huntington's continued partnership with the SBA, we've helped businesses in Cleveland and across our markets retain and grow jobs, expand their services or buy new equipment and become stronger and better positioned for the future," he says.
"When we put dollars in the hands of local small business owners, new businesses can start or be rescued, jobs are created and our economy is jump started," Walsh adds.
Huntington is the fifth-largest SBA lender in the country in number of loans, according to bank sources.
SOURCE: Huntington Bank
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
That small-fish-in-a-big-pond feeling is likely to crop up now and again for local doctors who choose to work outside of one of the large hospital systems. One of the big problem areas? Managing automated tasks like medical records and insurance reimbursements. Any independent physician in Northeast Ohio who has ever felt alone in this realm will want to check out the newly launched Independent Physician Solutions (IPS) from Sisters of Charity Health System.
IPS offers independent doctors a contiuum of services, including billing management, electronic medical records (EMR) and managed care contracting. The new subsidiary of Sisters of Charity is a physician-led organization that seeks the input of those in the medical community. For example, a committee composed of physicians from Sisters of Charity and independent doctors researched possible EMR solutions, eventually deciding on General Electric's Centricity. This system will help private-practice physicians stay on the cutting edge of technology requirements. IPS will also offer billing and collections services.
What's more, IPS will have an equity model open to physicians who want to invest, according to Orlando L. Alvarez, senior vice president of physician alignment for Sisters of Charity. More than half of the governing board of IPS will be made up of physicians.
SOURCE: Sisters of Charity
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
IPS offers independent doctors a contiuum of services, including billing management, electronic medical records (EMR) and managed care contracting. The new subsidiary of Sisters of Charity is a physician-led organization that seeks the input of those in the medical community. For example, a committee composed of physicians from Sisters of Charity and independent doctors researched possible EMR solutions, eventually deciding on General Electric's Centricity. This system will help private-practice physicians stay on the cutting edge of technology requirements. IPS will also offer billing and collections services.
What's more, IPS will have an equity model open to physicians who want to invest, according to Orlando L. Alvarez, senior vice president of physician alignment for Sisters of Charity. More than half of the governing board of IPS will be made up of physicians.
SOURCE: Sisters of Charity
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Hyland Software has
"strong management, a clear strategy, happy customers and a
vertical-market focus." That, according to the IT research and advisory
company Gartner, is part of the reason Hyland Software is on its list of
leaders in the enterprise content management (ECM) industry. Gartner's
Magic Quadrant 2010 puts Hyland Software in good company, as it shares
the title "leader" with the likes of Microsoft, Oracle and IBM. The
annual Magic Quadrant is used by the IT industry to evaluate ECM vendor
options.
The review from Gartner also pointed to Hyland's sales growth and success selling a version of the company's OnBase software that runs over the Internet. OnBase features document, business process and records management services.
A.J. Hyland, president and CEO of the Westlake-based company, says that Hyland's success relies on staying true to its own mission. "Since the beginning, Hyland strategically decided not to pursue two of Gartner's requirements to be a leader: team collaboration and WCM (web content management)," Hyland wrote on his company blog. "Instead, it stayed focused on this: integrated document imaging, management and workflow capabilities that meet the needs of targeted vertical industries."
This appears to have been a successful strategy. The company has had a banner year adding to its market share through acquisitions. New to the Hyland Software family in 2010 are eWebHealth, which specializes in Software as a Service (Saas); Hershey Systems, which focuses on the higher education market; and Computer Systems Company, a business and clinical healthcare software entity.
SOURCE: Hyland Software
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The review from Gartner also pointed to Hyland's sales growth and success selling a version of the company's OnBase software that runs over the Internet. OnBase features document, business process and records management services.
A.J. Hyland, president and CEO of the Westlake-based company, says that Hyland's success relies on staying true to its own mission. "Since the beginning, Hyland strategically decided not to pursue two of Gartner's requirements to be a leader: team collaboration and WCM (web content management)," Hyland wrote on his company blog. "Instead, it stayed focused on this: integrated document imaging, management and workflow capabilities that meet the needs of targeted vertical industries."
This appears to have been a successful strategy. The company has had a banner year adding to its market share through acquisitions. New to the Hyland Software family in 2010 are eWebHealth, which specializes in Software as a Service (Saas); Hershey Systems, which focuses on the higher education market; and Computer Systems Company, a business and clinical healthcare software entity.
SOURCE: Hyland Software
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Cleveland's Eaton Corporation is accelerating its presence in the electric car market thanks to a new collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors North America and Best Buy. Eaton will be providing the Level 2 home-charging mechanism for Mitsubishi's i MiEV electric vehicle, which goes on sale in the fall of 2011. Eaton also will provide infrastructural support and Level 2 chargers to all of Mitsubishi's North American dealerships.
Level 2 charging stations are installed in a home garage to help reduce the charging time of lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles.
Eaton will design and manufacture the Level 2 charging station equipment, which will be sold and distributed through Best Buy. In addition, Eaton will be the sole supplier and installer of the Level 2 charging stations required at Mitsubishi dealerships that will be selling the MiEV cars. The company has been developing innovative hybrid and electrical power systems, including electric-vehicle charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, for more than 20 years.
Rich Stinson, president of power distribution operations for Eaton's Electrical Sector, says that this collaboration between Eaton, Mitsubishi and Best Buy will allow residential drivers "to confidently go about their daily business, without being worried about where and when they will charge their vehicles.
SOURCE: Eaton Corp.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Level 2 charging stations are installed in a home garage to help reduce the charging time of lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles.
Eaton will design and manufacture the Level 2 charging station equipment, which will be sold and distributed through Best Buy. In addition, Eaton will be the sole supplier and installer of the Level 2 charging stations required at Mitsubishi dealerships that will be selling the MiEV cars. The company has been developing innovative hybrid and electrical power systems, including electric-vehicle charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, for more than 20 years.
Rich Stinson, president of power distribution operations for Eaton's Electrical Sector, says that this collaboration between Eaton, Mitsubishi and Best Buy will allow residential drivers "to confidently go about their daily business, without being worried about where and when they will charge their vehicles.
SOURCE: Eaton Corp.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Health Information Technology (HIT) is a rapidly emerging field that will likely grow much faster than the average jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Midwest Community College HIT Consortium is designed to ready a trained workforce for jobs in the HIT sector.
The consortium is comprised of 17 large community colleges in 10 Midwest states, and is being led by Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). Last month, the consortium launched a new website to educate potential students and employers about the training offered through these community colleges. The website lists workforce roles within HIT and the training opportunities available at each community college and through virtual learning.
Executive director of the consortium, Norma Morganti, says that the website is another tool to help the consortium reach its goal of training 2,700 people annually for HIT jobs. "Studies indicate that as many as 50,000 additional HIT professionals may be needed over the next five years," she notes. The consortium was created to support national electronic health records implementation, Morganti adds.
Tri-C received the ARRA/HITECH Grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to be the lead college for the consortium. As a result, Tri-C created several short-term, non-credit training programs to fill HIT jobs such as implementation support specialists, clinician/practitioner consultants and technical/software support staff.
Applicants for the short-term programs at Tri-C should have IT or IS experience in a business or health care environment or related work with medical billing, health information management or medical records.
SOURCE: Norma Morganti
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The consortium is comprised of 17 large community colleges in 10 Midwest states, and is being led by Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). Last month, the consortium launched a new website to educate potential students and employers about the training offered through these community colleges. The website lists workforce roles within HIT and the training opportunities available at each community college and through virtual learning.
Executive director of the consortium, Norma Morganti, says that the website is another tool to help the consortium reach its goal of training 2,700 people annually for HIT jobs. "Studies indicate that as many as 50,000 additional HIT professionals may be needed over the next five years," she notes. The consortium was created to support national electronic health records implementation, Morganti adds.
Tri-C received the ARRA/HITECH Grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to be the lead college for the consortium. As a result, Tri-C created several short-term, non-credit training programs to fill HIT jobs such as implementation support specialists, clinician/practitioner consultants and technical/software support staff.
Applicants for the short-term programs at Tri-C should have IT or IS experience in a business or health care environment or related work with medical billing, health information management or medical records.
SOURCE: Norma Morganti
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Whether it's an empty nook in their attic or a corner table at the local Starbuck's, home-based businesspeople are constantly searching for the ideal spot to do research, make phone calls or meet with clients. Come June of 2011, East Side entrepreneurs will be able to take advantage of specially designed space at the Shaker Heights Public Library's main branch on Lee Road.
The Community Entrepreneurial Office -- CEO for short -- will be a pilot program featuring workspace and services for home-based business owners. The Shaker Heights Public Library announced this fall that it had received a $37,645 grant from the state to set up the facilities.
An existing computer area on the library's second floor is being redesigned to make way for 10 workstations and a conference area, which will be available free of charge. Entrepreneurs will also have access to business software. Faxing, photocopying and related services will be fee-based.
"We see that people come here to do certain business and then they have to go elsewhere to finish," notes Margaret Simon, who will head up the library's CEO program. "So we said we'll be the finisher." Home-based entrepreneurs can think of the CEO as a one-stop resource for their businesses, Simon adds.
She says she would like to build a staff around the CEO program as it grows. "My hope is that it will become a self-sustaining business that will generate jobs."
The Shaker Heights Library is in proximity to Shaker Launch House, a business incubator also opening in 2011. Simon is set to meet with developers of Launch House to discuss ways each can help local entrepreneurs. "I think we have parallel services and we can make them intersect," she says.
SOURCE: Margaret Simon
WRITER: Diane DiPIero
The Community Entrepreneurial Office -- CEO for short -- will be a pilot program featuring workspace and services for home-based business owners. The Shaker Heights Public Library announced this fall that it had received a $37,645 grant from the state to set up the facilities.
An existing computer area on the library's second floor is being redesigned to make way for 10 workstations and a conference area, which will be available free of charge. Entrepreneurs will also have access to business software. Faxing, photocopying and related services will be fee-based.
"We see that people come here to do certain business and then they have to go elsewhere to finish," notes Margaret Simon, who will head up the library's CEO program. "So we said we'll be the finisher." Home-based entrepreneurs can think of the CEO as a one-stop resource for their businesses, Simon adds.
She says she would like to build a staff around the CEO program as it grows. "My hope is that it will become a self-sustaining business that will generate jobs."
The Shaker Heights Library is in proximity to Shaker Launch House, a business incubator also opening in 2011. Simon is set to meet with developers of Launch House to discuss ways each can help local entrepreneurs. "I think we have parallel services and we can make them intersect," she says.
SOURCE: Margaret Simon
WRITER: Diane DiPIero
It's not that they want people to get sick, but University Hospital's Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood is poised to capture a sizable patient population when it officially opens in January 2011.
Part of the attraction to patients obviously will be the quality care, but the 144-bed hospital also will likely turn heads with its technology. And not just for the comprehensive imaging center or state-of-the-art catheterization labs.
With input from physicians, nurses, employees and patients, Ahuja recognizes that people want high-tech amenities -- whether they're lounging in a hotel room or recuperating in a hospital bed.
Wireless internet runs through the hospital. Each private room has a flat-screen TV and a daybed so that a loved one can stay with the patient. Green and holistic design also play a vital role. Natural light is used to a maximum, and a healing garden provides a calm, inspirational place for patients and visitors to pause. These features not only look pretty, they are designed to promote healing and a positive outlook.
It isn't just the patients who will be well cared for at the new medical center; staff comfort and well-being also have been given top priority. For example, the seven-floor hospital features a step-sensitive design that will reduce fatigue for nurses and staff.
Details such as these will doubtless help draw in medical professionals, staffers and patients. When it opens, Ahuja Medical Center will employ about 400 people, and within two years, that number could more than double. Current open positions range from pathologists and ICU nurses to CT technologists and a food operations manager.
SOURCE: University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Part of the attraction to patients obviously will be the quality care, but the 144-bed hospital also will likely turn heads with its technology. And not just for the comprehensive imaging center or state-of-the-art catheterization labs.
With input from physicians, nurses, employees and patients, Ahuja recognizes that people want high-tech amenities -- whether they're lounging in a hotel room or recuperating in a hospital bed.
Wireless internet runs through the hospital. Each private room has a flat-screen TV and a daybed so that a loved one can stay with the patient. Green and holistic design also play a vital role. Natural light is used to a maximum, and a healing garden provides a calm, inspirational place for patients and visitors to pause. These features not only look pretty, they are designed to promote healing and a positive outlook.
It isn't just the patients who will be well cared for at the new medical center; staff comfort and well-being also have been given top priority. For example, the seven-floor hospital features a step-sensitive design that will reduce fatigue for nurses and staff.
Details such as these will doubtless help draw in medical professionals, staffers and patients. When it opens, Ahuja Medical Center will employ about 400 people, and within two years, that number could more than double. Current open positions range from pathologists and ICU nurses to CT technologists and a food operations manager.
SOURCE: University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
If things seem a little brighter in East Cleveland these days, it may
be because of the new streetlights gleaming along a block of Noble Road.
General Electric bestowed its first local LED lighting installation on
East Cleveland, where GE Lighting has had its headquarters for the past 100
years.
The GE Evolve LED Street Lights could reduce East Cleveland's energy use by several million watts a year, according to the lighting manufacturer. And because the LED lights shine bright, uniform light across a long swath of street and sidewalk, they offer enhanced safety along busy Noble Road. The lights have an estimated service life of 10-plus years.
GE Lighting Solutions recently received a best-in-class award for its Evolve LED street lighting from the U.S. Department of Energy's Next Generation Luminaires competition.
GE is pushing to secure a multimillion-dollar lighting contract for the City of Cleveland. Bids for the project were due to the city on December 1. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has vowed to tie energy-efficient lighting installation with job creation in Northeast Ohio by requesting that bidding companies agree to build a plant in Cleveland and bring 350 jobs there.
Could the East Cleveland installation serve as a kind of test drive for GE? GE Lighting president and CEO Michael B. Petra Jr. calls the Evolve streetlights "the perfect fit for the needs of urban municipalities."
SOURCE: City of E. Cleveland; GE Lighting
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The GE Evolve LED Street Lights could reduce East Cleveland's energy use by several million watts a year, according to the lighting manufacturer. And because the LED lights shine bright, uniform light across a long swath of street and sidewalk, they offer enhanced safety along busy Noble Road. The lights have an estimated service life of 10-plus years.
GE Lighting Solutions recently received a best-in-class award for its Evolve LED street lighting from the U.S. Department of Energy's Next Generation Luminaires competition.
GE is pushing to secure a multimillion-dollar lighting contract for the City of Cleveland. Bids for the project were due to the city on December 1. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has vowed to tie energy-efficient lighting installation with job creation in Northeast Ohio by requesting that bidding companies agree to build a plant in Cleveland and bring 350 jobs there.
Could the East Cleveland installation serve as a kind of test drive for GE? GE Lighting president and CEO Michael B. Petra Jr. calls the Evolve streetlights "the perfect fit for the needs of urban municipalities."
SOURCE: City of E. Cleveland; GE Lighting
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
A refocused business strategy seems to have helped Datatrak International get back on track. The technology and services company, which helps clients streamline the clinical trials process, enjoyed a cash increase in third quarter 2010 over the previous quarter. Laurence Birch, chairman and CEO of the company, says that the $1.8 million in revenue and $11.4 million backlog are due in part to Datatrak's recent investment in additional resources. These included hiring a vice president of marketing and a vice president of clinical and consulting services.
"Execution of our current business strategy is proving successful, as evidenced by our continued profitability, increasing backlog and positive cash flows," Birch says. "Datatrak's solid third quarter results are a direct indicator of the company's re-emergence in the marketplace."
Revenue for third quarter 2010 increased 17 percent over the same quarter last year. For the three months ending September 30, 2010, Datatrak's income from operations was $53,000 compared to a loss from operations in the third quarter of the prior year. Datatrak also announced that it had no non-operating debt.
Datatrak's portfolio of software products is designed to accelerate the reporting of clinical research data from sites to sites to sponsors and ultimately regulatory authorities. The company is headquartered in Mayfield Heights and has representatives in Bryan, Texas, and Bonn, Germany.
SOURCE: Datatrak International
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
"Execution of our current business strategy is proving successful, as evidenced by our continued profitability, increasing backlog and positive cash flows," Birch says. "Datatrak's solid third quarter results are a direct indicator of the company's re-emergence in the marketplace."
Revenue for third quarter 2010 increased 17 percent over the same quarter last year. For the three months ending September 30, 2010, Datatrak's income from operations was $53,000 compared to a loss from operations in the third quarter of the prior year. Datatrak also announced that it had no non-operating debt.
Datatrak's portfolio of software products is designed to accelerate the reporting of clinical research data from sites to sites to sponsors and ultimately regulatory authorities. The company is headquartered in Mayfield Heights and has representatives in Bryan, Texas, and Bonn, Germany.
SOURCE: Datatrak International
WRITER: Diane DiPiero