Ohio’s Leading Hospitals Develop Synergies Amongst Skilled Workforce

Instead of competing with one another, two of Northeast Ohio’s largest hospitals have decided to join forces. The newly announced collaboration amongst The Cleveland Clinic and MetroHealth System connects five high-level departments to best serve Northern Ohio's most severely injured patients. The network – called Northern Ohio Regional Trauma Network, or NORTN – means that badly injured patients who are treated at MetroHealth or the Clinic's four area hospitals will have care that is coordinated among specialists who draw from the expertise at both institutions, underscoring the power of creating synergies amongst Ohio’s skilled workforce.

With the new trauma network, clinicians will share best medical practices and work together to ensure that patients are transported to the hospital that can best care for their particular level of trauma. Behind the scenes, clinicians will share protocols and compare notes and outcomes to improve treatment. Highlighting both the strength and resources of Ohio’s medical care facilities, the collaboration involves a $2.4 million donation over the next two years by The Cleveland Clinic to a foundation earmarked for use by MetroHealth to offset the costs of uncompensated care and support education and research in trauma care.

Click here to read the full article on Cleveland.com.

Time Magazine Names Ohio State’s President Nation’s Best Leader in Higher Education

In an article titled, “The 10 Best College Presidents: Ohio State's Gee and Nine Other Dynamos,” Time Magazine declares Ohio State University’s president – Gordon Gee – one of the best college presidents in the U.S., underscoring the powerful influence of Ohio’s largest higher education institution.

The author of the article asserts that the U.S. needs to step up its game in terms of education, become more creative, more flexible and more innovative in more ways. Gee is doing just that. As president of the Ohio State University and one of the most experienced university executives in the U.S., Gee is campaigning for a revolution in higher education.

Gee talks with Time about his belief that universities today must be engines of regional economies. When a company is looking to hire new employees, it isn't the percentage of the total population that matters. Instead, it is the number of available people with the right knowledge and skills from which employers can choose. With the nation’s preeminent leader in higher education, it’s no surprise that Ohio’s workforce is marked with educated and skilled employees.

Gee’s higher education leadership philosophy centers on preparing students for the real world. "We make no apologies," Gee said, for "working to ensure that our graduates have the skills needed to thrive." Learning to think critically need not conflict with learning to work productively, he suggested.

Click here to read the full Time Magazine article about why Ohio State’s higher education leader is considered one of the best in the nation.

Ohio Improves Business Climate According to CNBC Report

Ohio’s purposeful redesign of its business climate received national recognition as one of America’s top states for business. CNBC ranked Ohio 29th in America’s Top States for Business 2009 rankings – an improvement over last year’s 30th place ranking (tie with Illinois).

The CNBC report examined 40 measurements across 10 categories. Among Ohio’s strengths, the state was ranked second in the nation for its transportation infrastructure, remained strong with a rank of 15th in education, and improved its rankings both in technology and innovation (from 17th to 10th) and access to capital to promote business development (from 20th to 14th). Ohio’s rank in both transportation and technology and innovation place the state among the top ten in the nation in those categories. Click here for a breakdown of Ohio’s ranking.

Ohio’s strengths in each category are a result of innovative programs aimed at improving Ohio’s overall environment such as the Ohio Third Frontier, an unprecedented and bipartisan commitment to expand Ohio's technological strengths and promote commercialization that leads to economic prosperity throughout Ohio, and the state’s K-12 education system. The state is recognized nationally and worldwide as a business location with unbeatable access to Midwestern, Central Canadian and Mid-Atlantic markets, and with its sophisticated transportation infrastructure represents a strong global platform to route goods and services to anywhere in the world. Ohio is within 600 miles of 60 percent of the U.S. population and 50 percent of the Canadian population.

The state’s recognition and continued improvement are evidence that Ohio’s economic development strategies for creating a healthy business development climate in the state are working and further prove that Ohio should be on every CEO’s list of location options. In addition, executives are able to find the perfect balance between successfully growing a business and enjoying life in Ohio.

Thoughts from an Ohio Executive

I recently spoke with John R. Nottingham, the co-founder and co-president of Nottingham-Spirk Design Associates, Inc., one of the leading new product and package innovation groups in the US with over 500 commercialized patents to date. Nottingham-Spirk product innovations have helped to create jobs and growth for Ohio companies and throughout the US for over 35 years. Notable design support projects include Crest SpinBrush®, Swiffer SweeperVac®, and Sherwin-Williams Twist & Pour® paint container.

John shared with me how his company benefits from the state's talented labor pool in the fields of product design, engineering and marketing. In addition, Nottingham-Spirk Design Associates offers an internship program for college students and new graduates.

The state of Ohio is committed to building, maintaining and retaining a talented labor pool that meets demands for Ohio businesses. From K-12 schools that challenge and inspire students to be both imaginative and analytical in their thinking, to postsecondary institutions that promote the development of moral character and produce highly skilled graduates, every level of Ohio's education and workforce development system is designed to create an educated, innovative and reliable workforce.

Click here to read more about my interview with John.

Ohio Business Leaders Discuss State’s Best-Kept Secrets

Over the past year-and-a-half, I’ve spoken with Ohio business leaders and executives from across the state. Each shared with me their “best-kept” Ohio secrets. From these conversations, I’ve compiled my list of Top 10 Ohio’s Best-Kept Secrets.

1. Home. Small-town feel with all the benefits and resources of a major city. In addition, short commutes to and from work make time for you to pursue personal passions.
2. Low cost of living. You can have more house while providing your family with a balance of culture and some of the best public and private schools around.
3. Excellent education. From preschool to higher education, Ohio is graduating students that will lead the world in business development and innovation.
4. Central location. It’s easy to conduct business around the state with six international airports and 600 miles within 60 percent of the U.S. population and 50 percent of the Canadian population.
5. Industry leader. Ohio is a leader in innovation and home to many great industries – agribusiness, automotive, bioscience, logistics, manufacturing, polymers, energy and aviation, and professional/financial services.
6. Talented workforce. Ohio offers a diverse and talented labor pool of workers in a variety of key industries.
7. Profitable business environment. Ohio’s business environment is designed to promote business development and entrepreneurship. The state has many strong workforce training programs and innovative job-creation and worker-retention programs such as the Ohio Third Frontier Project and the EnterpriseOhio Network.
8. Lowest cost in the Midwest. Ohio is executing tax reform to substantially lower the cost of doing business in the state – with the lowest taxes in the Midwest by 2010.
9. Strong supply chain. A strong supply chain across numerous key industries helps improve company efficiencies and profits.
10. You can make a difference. In Ohio, you can make a meaningful difference in your community because you are not simply a "small fish in a big pond."

To sum it up: business leaders agree that when it comes to opportunities for business development, education, low cost of living, community impact, supply chain management and tax reform, Ohio truly is "The State of Perfect Balance."