News Releases

CLEVELAND – The Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, today announced the 2019 Harrington Scholar-Innovator Award recipients. The projects supported by the awards include new therapeutics to treat metabolic disorders, autoimmune disorders and cancer, and new approaches to eradicate parasitic diseases in developing countries.
 
The Harrington Discovery Institute—part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development—is designed to translate science of great promise into therapeutics that can impact human health. Award recipients whose research demonstrates innovation, creativity and the potential to impact standards of care in medicine are selected from institutions across the U.S.  In addition to financial support, the Harrington Discovery Institute provides expertise and oversight in all aspects of drug development.
 
“Every year we see novel and creative approaches for treating major unmet medical needs. This year was no exception. The 2019 Scholar-Innovator class represents an exciting portfolio of drugs-in-the-making with potential to significantly improve human health. We are honored to support these extraordinary physician-scientists,” Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, President of the Harrington Discovery Institute.
 
The selected scholars have access to several rounds of capital (up to a total of $700,000) through their affiliation with the Harrington Discovery Institute to support the transition of their work into the private sector. Scholars are then free to approach investors of their choice to support the commercialization of their work. They also have facilitated access to BioMotiv, the mission-aligned development company that is part of The Harrington Project.
 
“Our new class of scholars was selected from a large pool of highly qualified individuals from across the U.S. With this year’s class, we have supported over 100 Harrington Scholars,” said Mukesh K. Jain, MD, Chief Scientific Officer of the Harrington Discovery Institute.
 
 

CLEVELAND – Richard Josephson, MS, MD, a University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center cardiologist, leads a national program to increase the knowledge and engagement of physicians regarding cardiac rehabilitation.
 
Dr. Josephson, and moreover, University Hospitals, is recognized as a national leader in the field. As a result, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) selected Dr. Josephson to organize, develop and implement a first-of-its-kind and transformational web-based educational program.
 
The effort is being backed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) via their important “Million Hearts” program, a government-funded organization trying to raise awareness about prevention and rehabilitation in an effort to lower the burden of cardiovascular disease and related death.

CLEVELAND – Heather Gornik, MD, has been named co-director of the Vascular Center at University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute.
 
Dr. Gornik, a cardiologist and vascular medicine specialist, completed medical school at the University of Chicago followed by internal medicine, cardiology, and vascular medicine training at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston where she also served as chief medical resident. 
 
She is an internationally recognized expert in the care of complex vascular diseases, particularly fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), an uncommon disease of the arteries that can lead to narrowing, aneurysm and dissection.

CLEVELAND - Could our blood hold the molecular secrets to a fountain of youth, preventing age-related brain disorders? Can targeting red blood cells and blood vessels keep our brains healthy and prevent dementia?
 
Mukesh K. Jain, MD, Chief Scientific Officer for University Hospitals and UH Harrington Discovery Institute (HDI) and Chief Research Officer, UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, will lead a multidisciplinary team of notable researchers from across the country to help answer those questions.

CLEVELAND – In its newly released Community Benefit Report, University Hospitals illustrates recent examples of its continued effort to address health and economic disparities in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.
 
During the past decade, UH has invested more than $2.6 billion in community benefit expenditures. And in 2017 alone, the health system’s community benefit expenditures totaled $325 million.
 
UH works with its community to identify and address the region’s most pressing healthcare needs through research, charitable care, education, training and community outreach. 
 
UH follows Internal Revenue Service guidelines to determine allowable community benefit contribution.  UH’s total community benefit spending includes: Charity care ($43 million); community health improvement services, programs and support ($24 million); Medicaid shortfall ($144 million); research ($37 million); and education and training ($77 million).
 
Medicaid shortfall refers to subsidized care to Medicaid patients because this government program pays well below the cost of providing such care. 
 
“Since our founding in 1866, University Hospitals has served an active and integral role in Northeast Ohio, providing comprehensive healthcare to our neighbors while creating programs aimed at overall community well-being,” said Thomas F. Zenty III, CEO of UH. “Our vision statement, ‘Advancing the Science of Health and the Art of Compassion,’ illustrates our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care and patient experience, pioneering research, and elevating the standards of healthcare in the most compassionate way possible.”