I have had many opportunities to inspect the hospital rooms being fitted out in the Miller Family Pavilion and Glickman Tower. I am impressed by how each hospital room meets the most exacting medical criteria for safe and effective care. I am equally impressed by the comfort level. Each room in these hospital facilities is private. They are of comfortable size, with plenty of room for family and visitors, as well as medical personnel. They have been compared to four-star hotel rooms. And the view from the windows is spectacular. You can see out over the rooftops, steeples and trees all the way to Lake Erie.

 

We know now that patients heal better and faster in comfortable surroundings. That’s why our hospital rooms have been designed with healing hospitality in mind. We have been driven to provide the best in patient and visitor amenities in all parts of these new buildings. The lobbies are clean, uncluttered and spacious, with clear sight lines and legible signage. Greeters and volunteers are available to answer your questions and guide you to your appointments. There is a patient education library and auditorium. Comfortable seating is available every few steps.

 

There will be a variety of retail and dining opportunities in the new buildings. A bookstore selling flowers, toiletries, gifts and other items is planned, along with a store selling wellness products of various kinds. Two new food vendors will be available. Key Bank will have a branch in the lobby.

 

The soaring atrium in the Glickman Tower has already become a focal point of the Cleveland Clinic campus. Rising four stories, lit by a wall of windows, it is a soaring space that lifts the spirits. As these new lobby areas are being used, we will be renovating our previous main lobby areas, along with the International Café. The result will be a new comfortably navigable space connecting all our principle buildings and parking areas.

 

Elevator banks in the new Miller Family Pavilion area are conveniently located. If you take one of these elevators up to the very top floor, you’ll visit one of my favorite public spaces in the new complex: the rooftop plaza. I specifically requested that the architects include this amenity in their plans. Here, you will be able to sit down, have a cup of coffee, and enjoy one of the best views in Cleveland.

 

While you’re admiring the view, have a look directly below, to the northwest of the main entrance. There you will see a modest, four-brick building facing on Euclid Avenue. That was where Cleveland Clinic first opened its doors in 1921.

 

We’ve come a long way.

 

Cleveland Clinic has grown so far in such a short time, thanks to our patients who trusted us. They allow us to care for them, and help them at difficult times in their lives. They deserve our gratitude for their confidence in our care, and for allowing us to exercise our skills on their behalf. They have chosen Cleveland Clinic and we thank them.

Finally, there are the donors who have made these buildings possible. They include the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family, and Babs and Carl Glickman. Among them also, are thousands of other generous donors, whose names do not appear on buildings, but in whom the spirit of giving is no less strong. These great structures stand as permanent monuments to the generosity of men and women from all walks of life who have donated generously for the health and quality of life of others. On behalf of all Cleveland Clinic staff and personnel, past and present, I thank them.