CLEVELAND, OH and TITUSVILLE, FL: Cleveland Clinic and Parrish Medical Center, a Parrish Healthcare integrated care partner, jointly announced that Parrish Medical Center has become a member of Cleveland Clinic Connected.  After passing a rigorous review of Parrish Medical Center’s operations, quality and service excellence, Cleveland Clinic has accepted Parrish Medical Center as the first domestic member of Cleveland Clinic Connected.

Founded in 1958, Parrish Medical Center is the region’s only independent, public, not-for-profit community hospital nationally recognized for its patient-centered healing environment. Parrish Medical Center has earned a number of national distinctions, including, but not limited to, Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center; Commission on Cancer-certified oncology program and Surgical Quality Partner of the American College of Surgeons; among many others.

Cleveland Clinic created Cleveland Clinic Connected to respond to increased global demand for quality healthcare. The collaborative program enables hospitals and healthcare organizations to connect with Cleveland Clinic’s clinical and operational experts to enhance patient care, quality and safety. Through program membership, healthcare facilities benefit from clinical and operational support and best practices developed during Cleveland Clinic’s 103-year history.

As a Cleveland Clinic Connected member, Parrish Medical Center clinicians will be able to access educational opportunities either at Cleveland Clinic or through distance learning, as well as best practices and protocols that are used at Cleveland Clinic locations worldwide. Parrish Medical Center physicians will also be able to request educational consultations of complex cases. In addition, Parrish’s staff can access Cleveland Clinic’s continuous quality improvement and advisory services, plus education and training including clinical observership programs.

Ranked as one of the world’s top hospital systems – according to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2023 List – Cleveland Clinic has 23 hospitals and more than 275 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and London, England.

“We are thrilled to welcome Parrish Medical Center as the first U.S. member of Cleveland Clinic Connected,” said Jim Cotelingam, Cleveland Clinic Chief Strategy Officer “This collaboration with Parrish underscores both organizations’ dedication to safety, quality and excellence in care for patients. Together, we are focused on enhancing the healthcare experience for the communities we serve.”

The goal of the Cleveland Clinic Connected program is to build a global network of independent, like-minded, quality-focused organizations that have a positive impact on patient care. Experts from Cleveland Clinic work with hospitals and health systems to ensure the highest standards of patient care delivery, enhancing operational efficiencies, and supporting the professional development and education of clinical and non-clinical staff.

“On behalf of Parrish Medical Center, Parrish Healthcare and the community we serve, we are honored to be the first U.S. member of the esteemed Cleveland Clinic Connected program,” said George Mikitarian, President and CEO of Parrish Healthcare. “We look forward to the collaboration and to the benefits our patients, care partners and community will gain from access to Cleveland Clinic’s global network of health expertise.”

The partnership between Cleveland Clinic and Parrish Medical Center will also welcome Cleveland Clinic as an integrated care partner of Parrish Healthcare’s Joint Commission-certified Integrated Care system. Parrish Healthcare remains the nation’s first and only health system to earn Integrated Care certification from The Joint Commission.

Additionally, the partnership will also bring Cleveland Clinic’s world-class telestroke program to Brevard County. Parrish Medical Center’s Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center introduced its telestroke program in 2012. With this new partnership, the telestroke program will continue at Parrish Medical Center.

When patients identified with stroke arrive at the emergency department (ED) of a partner facility, emergency physicians perform a rapid assessment, order a CT scan and then request a telestroke consult. Within minutes, a Cleveland Clinic stroke neurologist will work remotely with the ED staff. Together they check vital signs, perform an examination, review results of the CT scan and make treatment recommendations. 

Since its inception, the Cleveland Clinic telestroke program has supported over 30 hospitals or freestanding EDs; and has completed over 20,000 evaluations; and administered over 1,800 doses of clot-busting medication.