Reimagining Health Care

Imagine a different type of healthcare. Instead of making appointments in multiple locations for a child’s pediatrician visit, a mother’s prenatal care, and a child’s dental and vision screenings, patients could receive all these services under one roof.

Consider the convenience of having prescriptions filled at an on-site pharmacy or lab tests drawn at a full-service lab without needing to travel to separate locations. Picture a state-of-the-art facility that’s bright, inviting, and celebrates the vibrant and diverse urban community it serves.

When the new UH Rainbow Center for Women & Children opened its doors in July 2018, it made all of this – and much more – a reality for people in Cleveland.

Located at 5805 Euclid Ave., the 40,000-square-foot outpatient facility provides high-quality healthcare services in the heart of Midtown. Just two miles west of University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, it’s the new home for two outpatient practices previously located on the first floor of UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.

Together these clinics log more than 45,000 patient visits per year, and are primary UH training sites for the next generation of pediatric and OB/GYN clinicians. The Center is also expected to receive LEED certification.

Advancing the Science of Health and the Art of Compassion

“The UH Rainbow Center for Women & Children is an urban academic medical center that provides comprehensive, coordinated care from a variety of different services that are essential for patients’ overall well-being,” says Aparna Bole, MD, Division Chief of General Academic Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine at UH Rainbow and Co-Director of the Center.

“It’s a one-stop shop for their healthcare needs that uses a team-based approach for care efficiency and enhanced communication – drastically different from the traditional model of care. Another unique focus is to connect families with resources to address social, economic and environmental factors that can influence health.”

Grant funds allow UH to expand group care beyond pregnancy and pediatric visits to include group care for nutrition and primary care conditions, such as high blood pressure. This team-based approach to medical visits will be routine at the UH Rainbow Center for Women & Children, engaging with patients in a group setting with peer-led discussion.

Designed with Community Support

To help determine the different types of resources to offer and to incorporate community-centered design features in the building, UH convened a Community Advisory Board two years ago that includes more than 70 stakeholders representing 35 different organizations including UH Rainbow and UH MacDonald patients and staff.

“We are grateful for this group’s generous commitment to collaboration, and look forward to bringing novel joint programs, connectivity to social services and community input to our center programming,” Dr. Bole says. “The Center’s unique model of care also enables us to develop and evaluate innovative programs that give us the opportunity to stay on the leading edge of healthcare.”