A new expansion is on a solid foundation at UH Parma Medical Center

By Olivia Bloom

A new era is beginning at University Hospitals Parma Medical Center, where construction is underway on the largest project in more than three decades. A new president is engaging with patients and staff, and the highest possible quality rating in the country was awarded for a second consecutive year.

Massive Surgery Expansion
Responding to an increasing demand for outpatient surgery and the growing number of surgeons who want to practice at UH Parma Medical Center, the hospital has launched a complete renovation of its surgery department.

Work has begun on a 7,700-square-foot addition that will modernize and alter the face of UH Parma Medical Center. The project, supported by a $2 million donation from the Parma Hospital Health Care Foundation, will proceed in multiple phases over a two-year period.

“This massive expansion and renovation of our entire surgery department positions UH Parma Medical Center for long-term growth,” says Brian Monter, recently named president of UH Parma Medical Center.

“We are intent on continuing to be a hospital that provides high-quality care—a hospital where doctors want to practice, patients choose to come and employees enjoy working.”

Larger, state-of-the-art surgical suites will support the growth of several UH service lines and institutes at UH Parma Medical Center, including the Sports Medicine and Spine Institutes’ orthopedic surgeries, UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute’s vascular and thoracic surgeries, UH Digestive Health Institute’s bariatric surgeries, UH Eye Institute’s eye procedures and UH Urology Institute’s urological cases.

“We are thrilled the hospital is spending $27.5 million to renovate and expand the surgery department, a move that will benefit the quality of health care for our residents,” says Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter.

“We thank the hospital for its investment in our community.”

Personalized Cancer Care
The groundbreaking for the new surgery addition comes on the heels of UH Parma Medical Center’s $3 million revitalization of its UH Seidman Cancer Center, which reopened radiation oncology in March following installation of a new state-of-the-art linear accelerator to administer radiation treatments.

The Cancer Center also welcomes new physicians to both medical oncology and radiation oncology. Drs. Kevin Kelley and Jennifer Muller—along with several cancer survivors who have experienced the personalized, expert care of UH Seidman Cancer Center at UH Parma Medical Center—will greet the public at an Open House on Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

On the second floor, renovation is underway to expand specialty pharmacy to advance its focus on patient care. Specialty pharmacy is pivotal in helping patients obtain and safely take costly cancer drugs. This renovation is prompting a noticeable change to the layout of the waiting area on the second floor.

“Our dedicated oncologists, nurses and caregivers can provide highly skilled, compassionate care for patients from diagnosis to treatment without a need to travel downtown or to another location,” says Maruja P. Heiselman, MBA, BSN, CNOR, clinical manager of the UH Seidman Cancer Center at UH Parma Medical Center.

“We encourage our community to bring family and friends to learn more about the latest cancer care available in their community.”

Five Stars for Quality
Building on the Five Stars for Quality achieved in late 2017, UH Parma Medical Center earned this accolade again in February from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that administers Medicare.

CMS reviews data on readmission rates, mortality, infection rates, hospital-acquired conditions and timeliness and effectiveness of care to rate hospitals from one to five stars. Of the 4,500 hospitals in the nation, fewer than 7 percent achieved a five-star rating in 2019 for quality, safety and patient experience.

“We have a really strong foundation here, and our shared commitment of service, loyalty and engagement in providing great care for our community will continue to be key to our success,” says Brian.

University Hospitals Parma Medical Center is located at 7007 Powers Blvd., in Parma. Call 440-743-3000 for more information, or visit UHParma.org.