A Physician Family

At UH, Meeting Patients’ Needs Helps Doctors to Meet Their Own

For years, pediatrician Douglas Hackenberg, MD, worked in private practice near major Akron hospitals. He joined University Hospitals in 2012 for two compelling reasons.

“For primary-care physicians like me in Northeast Ohio, aligning with UH is the best thing for our patients, and it’s the best thing for us,” Dr. Hackenberg says.

Dr. Hackenberg is among 21 premier Summit County primary-care physicians UH absorbed in 2012. Their addition reflects UH’s move toward a larger, yet more unified, family of physicians.

UH is evolving to meet the changing needs of our regional communities and the physicians who serve them, says Michael L. Nochomovitz, MD, President of University Hospitals Physician Services.

“On one level, medicine is focusing more on meeting the specific needs of individual patients by strengthening patient-physician relationships through better communication, education and technology,” Dr. Nochomovitz says. “On another level, our knowledge of human systems and subsystems continues to advance, and UH is in the forefront of clinical innovation to bring new treatments to our patients. Our goal is to align these trends into a cohesive, patient-centered physician enterprise that offers patients the absolute best care.”

Cindy Zelis, MD, a UH-employed family-medicine physician in Strongsville, says this enterprise provides patients superior outcomes and experiences.

“As a community-based primary-care physician, I have strong relationships with my patients and with UH’s highly trained and skilled specialists,” Dr. Zelis explains. “Those relationships make all the difference when one of my patients needs specialized care. I have a rich patient history and knowledge base to share with the specialist. And the specialist keeps me consistently informed so that I can provide the most well-coordinated follow-up care. We have different strengths, but one thing in common: the UH standard of compassionate, patient-centered, highest-quality care.

“That,” Dr. Zelis concludes, “is what you get behind the red shield.”

“We have different strengths, but one thing in common: the UH standard of compassionate, patient-centered, highest-quality care.”

Cindy Zelis, MD