The GLENVILLE HEALTH ASSN., organized in 1970, was a private urban health center that served the poor in the GLENVILLE area. The association grew out of the FOREST CITY HOSPITAL Assn. The need for such an organization was highlighted in an ACADEMY OF MEDICINE report which listed only 21 physicians' offices and 100 hospital beds (at Forest City Hospital) to serve Glenville's 80,000 people. The Glenville Health Assn.'s first objective was local ambulatory care, while its long-range goal was to erect a center that offered comprehensive health care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through its board of 40 trustees, the association has been affiliated with Forest City Hospital, MT. SINAI MEDICAL CENTER, UNIV. HOSPITALS, and CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIV. Leonard Howard headed the original board. In 1973 the Glenville Health Assn. received $500,000 in grants from private foundations—including $400,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation of New Jersey—for a walk-in clinic. With additional grant money, a new medical facility was built at 10640 St. Clair Ave., staffed by 6 doctors and 2 dentists. As opposed to other urban health centers, the association attempted to emulate the personal style of private practice. In the late 1970s the Glenville Health Assn. reduced its staff, but by 1984 it had become almost self-supporting, generating 89% of its $1.6 million annual budget from patient revenues and contracts. In 1974 the Glenville Health Assn. operated in conjunction with Forest City Hospital and as a teaching facility for CWRU. In 1975 it received the Anisfield-Wolf Memorial Award from the CLEVELAND FOUNDATION for outstanding community service. Due to financial constraints, Glenville Heath Assn. closed its doors in 1989.
Glenville Health Assn. Records, WRHS.