It never fails. At every conference or other large industry event I attend, someone asks me where HEALTHCARE DESIGN is located. I no longer cringe when I answer, but nine times out of 10, the reaction is the same: “Cleveland? Really?”

As a lifelong Cleveland resident, born and raised here, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. The city has never really been paid much respect nationally and has been the butt of more than a few late-night jokes about a burning river and the like. When I was a younger and angrier young man, I would have gotten defensive about such reactions to my hometown; now, I simply resign myself to the fact that most people just don’t “get” Cleveland. Some days, I’m not sure I do myself. But I can say that Cleveland has been good to me, and having traveled the country my fair share, I can also say that I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

And so with an appropriate sense of civic pride, I present this month’s issue of HEALTHCARE DESIGN featuring not one but two new projects from the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic. On page 46, learn the story of the development of the Debra Ann November Wing of the Lerner School for Autism at Cleveland Clinic’s Children’s Center for Autism. On page 65, you’ll find our Showcase facility (and cover star) for this issue, the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Pavilion, which serves as a new “front door” for the Cleveland Clinic’s main campus (along with its partner, the Glickman Tower.)

These projects are mere introductory parts of the Clinic’s plan to revamp its campus, and while it is certainly being done with an eye on maintaining its international reputation as a healthcare leader, the greatest impact will be felt right here at home. Knowing that such world-class healthcare is available just around the corner is a big perk that comes with living in Cleveland. In fact, it nearly makes up for the brutal winters.

In the case of the Miller Family Pavilion and the Glickman Tower, however, they are not without controversy. Critics have lamented its “museum-like” qualities and the abstract art to some degree; I leave it to you to read the stories (and perhaps come see for yourself!) and make up your own minds.

Now, if one of our sports franchises can just win a championship…. HD



Todd Hutlock, Editor-in-Chief

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Healthcare Design 2009 July;9(7):8