CLEVELAND – A $2 million gift from The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation to the future Center for Emergency Medicine at University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) marks the second largest gift to the major building project. In recognition of this significant donation, UH is naming the Center for Emergency Medicine’s garden court in honor of the Smith Foundation.

The estimated $45 million Center for Emergency Medicine, which is scheduled to be completed by 2010, will more than double available space for adult and pediatric emergency care. Featuring convenient drive-up access from Euclid Avenue, the 54,000-square-foot CEM is a key part of UH’s Vision 2010 strategic plan, which includes the UH Ahuja Medical Center, the Quentin & Elisabeth Alexander Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, a new Cancer Hospital at UHCMC, the UH Twinsburg Health Center, and the UH Concord Health Center, as well as an Electronic Medical Record system.

UH’s Vision 2010 initiative is one of the largest investments in the history of University Circle and, in this endeavor, UH and The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation share a dedication to the future of our community, including the care of the region’s most vulnerable populations. “The Center for Emergency Medicine is a meaningful investment in our community by University Hospitals,” says Ellen Stirn Mavec, President of The Smith Foundation. “Emergency medicine is of vital importance to the health of this region and we are excited to partner with University Hospitals in their plans to reinvest in this critical service.”

The Smith Foundation has been a longtime supporter of University Circle institutions, including University Hospitals, dating back to its founders Kelvin and Eleanor Smith, the grandparents of Ellen Stirn Mavec. Also the co-founder of Graphite Oil Products Company, which evolved into the Lubrizol Corporation, Kelvin Smith was a University Hospitals Case Medical Center (then University Hospitals of Cleveland) Director from 1968-1979 and served as an Honorary Director from 1980-1984.

The Center for Emergency Medicine will house the adult emergency department and the Marcy R. Horvitz Pediatric Emergency Center. The new facility, with 58 patient rooms, will accommodate more than 80,000 anticipated visits by area residents and will be designed to maximize patient comfort, privacy and safety. It will have separate entrances for ambulance traffic and drive-up patients, as well as a new parking garage.

“At University Hospitals, we know the emergency department is the place where our skills meet the community’s urgent needs, and keeping the entry point door open and effective is one of our highest priorities,” says Edward Michelson, MD, Chairman of Emergency Medicine at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. “Our current facility was designed 30 years ago to serve an annual census of 40,000 patients and today has vastly outgrown its space, with 73,000 patients coming through our door each year.”

The new state-of-the-art Center for Emergency Medicine will have dedicated pediatric and adult patient rooms, as well as flexible swing rooms. The pediatric department, headed by Gregg DiGiulio, MD, will remain a Level I pediatric trauma center and will be adjacent to the adult department.

The facility will also feature a pediatric trauma room and adult resuscitation room. The CEM will have expanded laboratory and radiology services, including a dedicated CT scanner, and will provide for immediate activation of stroke team and rapid response cardiac care.

“Our new Center for Emergency Medicine has been designed to meet the comprehensive needs of our critically ill patients,” says Fred C. Rothstein, MD, President, UHCMC. “We are grateful for The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation’s support of this key resource for the community and understanding of its importance to the University Circle area. Serving the critical health needs of the community has long been of vital importance to University Hospitals and we are proud to be able to continue to build upon that legacy.”