Cleveland Clinic: a great Institution

I would be failing, if I did not write about this beautiful place where I spent the last 55 days. We are planning to leave this place tomorrow, but Cleveland, has been my home for the last 2 months. It was my first visit to this place. I came here with a specific mission to really know, how I can address some of my health issues. But landed up doing much much more and leave the place completely rejuvenated, young and happy, raring to go, completely fresh, and have had the most relaxed time in my over 30 years of working life.

If Harvard is the signature place for Business School, Cleveland, most certainly is for Cardiac ailments. Harvard has Law, Science, Health Science, equally good, but the Business School is the most global. Similarly, for Cleveland, it has other Health areas, equally good, but they simply stand out in Heart/Cardiac areas.

I have been privileged to study at Harvard from 2007-2009 and now be in Cleveland, in 2010, to address health issues. Two of the greatest and the best in the world.

I have always asked myself, why do some places become ‘outstanding’ than others. It is perhaps the same thing, as saying how do ‘good’ companies become ‘great’ companies. I watched Harvard and Cleveland closely to observe the greatness factor of these Institutions. Yes, when you look at it closely, you very clearly see, systemic differences, which must have been transplanted very early in their system, which lives on. This is always a challenge, and an area, which keeps me engaged for many hours. How do you merge or balance the human and behaviourial aspects with the system and mix it in such a manner that a new product gets created which is unique. If you do this well enough, then over a period of time perhaps, a “good” organization becomes “great.”

The brand value which they build over years, creates expectations. These expectations need to be met consistently. As I walked through the corridor of Cleveland Clinic one morning a little slowly, 4 volunteers along the way, asked me, whether I need any help. Felt good. But they were doing this to everyone, day in and day out. From my hospital room, I could see the valet parking guys, running to collect the cars. I watched it every day. They never walked. If I see my car being picked up, like that, I would surely like it. Salaried doctors with yearly contracts, all add up to the brand value of Cleveland Clinic.

I leave this beautiful place tomorrow. It’s a scenic place, with lots of vineyards, and hills around, and a pretty cool place. But what stands out is the genuine concern of everyone in the clinic. It is aptly summarized, by the statement made by the concierge at Intercontinental, when we checked in on the first day. He said, “We don’t like or enjoy when patients check in to our hotel, as they have grim faces on them, with the treatment in front of them. But it aptly compensates the joy we have, when we see smiling faces when they check out after being cured.”

Thank you, Cleveland Clinic. Thank you for this huge energy you have brought into my life.