Who To Watch in Health Care: What Are Some Of The Most Significant Challenges in Health Care Going Forward?

Crain’s Cleveland Danny Williams, executive director, The Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland I believe three of the most significant challenges in health care today are: Finding a message that helps build a consensus around the idea that access to health care should be viewed as a basic human right, in much the same way as we view access to clean air and clean water. Adjusting the system for paying for health care from one tied to procedures performed to one focused on outcomes achieved for patient populations. Increasing the incentives to encourage more health care providers to pursue careers in primary health care to better serve the growing population of individuals suffering from a growing range of chronic diseases and conditions. Steffany Larkins, executive vice president, chief of staff, diversity officer, Medical Mutual of Ohio I believe that lack [...]

In Good Company: Grand Slam

Heather Maurer for Wright State University Wright State University Alumnus Ronald Golovan serves as team physician for the Cleveland Indians, cares for entertainers appearing at the House of Blues, Blossom Music Center, and other Cleveland venues, serves as medical director for a corporate wellness firm, and sees patients in his private practice. As a Cleveland-based private practice internist, Ronald Golovan, M.D., (’89) has spent 22 years treating professional baseball players, musicians, actors, and corporate executives. However, he is quick to point out that some of the most satisfying moments of his career have come from his involvement in the health care of his more typical internal medicine patients. “I won’t lie. Taking care of professional athletes and musicians is great, but I still love going to work every day and seeing my regular office patients,” said Golovan, who received the 2013 Outstanding [...]

E-cigs fire up controversy

Timothy Magaw for Crain's Cleveland Charlie Lardomita has been an off-and-on smoker since he was about 16 years old. And while it's only been two months since he lit up, the 38-year-old IT executive thinks this time he's kicked the habit for good. Forget the patch or nicotine gum. Mr. Lardomita swears by his electronic cigarette, a device that could be described as the lovechild of RoboCop and Joe Camel. He has made believers — or “vapors” — out of a handful of his friends who've since dropped traditional smokes. He even has dreamt of opening a vapor lounge — a one-stop shop and haven for e-cig connoisseurs — near his home in Kirtland. “I'm so into them it's ridiculous,” said Mr. Lardomita, chief technology officer for International Excess Alliance in Richmond Heights, a wholesaler of property, casualty and other [...]

Wellness big business for Solon firm

Timothy Magaw for Crain's Cleveland Keeping employees healthy is a good business plan these days as health care costs continue to inch upward, and a Solon-based company appears to be benefiting from helping employers do just that. Launched in 2005, BeWell Solutions positions itself as a business that can improve an employer’s bottom line by reducing employees’ health risks through educational seminars, biometric screenings, health coaching and other tactics. Revenues at BeWell, according to its top executives, are on the upswing, growing 100% in 2010 over the previous year and 60% on top of that in 2011. At present, BeWell is 40% ahead of where it was last year in terms of revenue, with “major opportunities in the pipeline,” said William Frankel, its executive vice president. Specific revenue figures were not disclosed. The company recently moved from a 3,500-square-foot space [...]