Southwest General Health Center - Features

Health is our Business; Quality is our Focus; Compassion is our Way.

LifeWorks of Southwest General:LifeWorks of Southwest General is a state-of-the-art fitness facility where degreed fitness and health care professionals can help you achieve new levels of health and well-being. We provide you with training, guidance and motivation in your effort to reach your fitness goals. LifeWorks expands upon the services offered in traditional health clubs by incorporating fitness, educational programming and selected health care services to meet your needs. The result is an innovative health and wellness facility that goes far beyond a basic health club or gym to help you attain your fitness goals. Located less than one mile from I-71, LifeWorks offers a convenient, comfortable environment for people of all fitness levels. To learn more about LifeWorks and its programs, visit us at 7390 Old Oak Boulevard, Middleburg Heights, call 440-816-4200 or visit their web site at

Language Interpreters:For those who do not speak English and require help to communicate with Southwest General associates or physicians on the Medical Staff, foreign language interpreters can be provided for many languages. A nurse or clinical associate can assist in obtaining an interpreter. Patients scheduling their stay at the health center can make arrangements for this service ahead of time.

Nothing characterizes Southwest General's community support more dramatically than its founding as The Community Hospital in 1920. Its creation followed a post-World War I flu epidemic during which many area residents died while being transported to the nearest Cleveland hospital. Convinced of the need for a local hospital, citizens of the southwest Cleveland area rallied to raise $100,000 in 10 days to build a 32-bed hospital in Berea.

The new community hospital opened on the corner of Bagley and Front streets in 1925. It had 32 beds and eight bassinets and sufficed until 1945, when the first addition was made to increase the capacity to 107 beds and 34 bassinets. Seven more additions and two name changes later, the hospital had grown to 166 beds. With no land remaining for expansion and a rapidly growing community to serve, a 22-acre site was purchased in neighboring Middleburg Heights upon which to construct a new 235-bed replacement hospital.

The new Southwest General Hospital was opened in 1975. It was constructed in part using funds from a self-imposed tax levy, supported by six communities in Southwest General's service area. The new facility, the health center's current location, was eventually expanded to 325 beds through an addition in 1983, 336 beds in 1994 and subsequently to 340 beds in 2000.

In 1994, Southwest General Hospital changed its name to Southwest General Health Center to reflect its growing role in promoting wellness in the communities it serves. Situated on Old Oak Boulevard, with grounds once graced by 200-year-old oak trees, the health center continues to use the oak tree as part of its logo. Through the years, the tree has come to symbolize the strength, endurance and growth that are the Southwest General heritage.

At Southwest General, volunteers supplement the services of paid health center associates and provide personalized service for patients in many areas – both inside and outside the health center. We rely on volunteers for certain assignments so it is important you view the role of a volunteer as a commitment. Most of our volunteers donate three to four hours of service per week. By accepting a volunteer position, you are committing yourself to complying with the standards that govern the conduct of our unpaid staff. For more information, please choose from the following options or contact Marge Galla, in the Volunteer Services Department, at 440-816-8950, or e-mail her at mgalla@s .

The Foundation, which became fully operational on June 9, 1986, is a not-for-profit corporation that centralizes all fund-raising efforts of the Southwest Community Health System. The Foundation, through its fund-raising programs and the divisions (auxiliaries) of The Corner Shop, TV Services and Friends of Southwest General, generates charitable gifts that are used to support the mission of Southwest General Health Center. For more information about Southwest Community Health Foundation, call 440-816-6713.

As part of its efforts to improve the health status of special groups of residents in the communities it serves, Southwest General offers a variety of health and wellness programs and services. These special groups include children home alone after school, the elderly and those who are homebound and in need of transportation to the health center. Community Outreach services include:Van Transportation:Free van transportation service is available to residents of the health center's taxing district -- Berea, Brook Park, Columbia Township, Middleburg Heights, Olmsted Falls and Strongsville. Transportation is provided for doctor appointments, tests and other clinical services. Volunteer van drivers use a mini-van and wheelchair-accessible vans with raised roofs and hydraulic wheelchair lifts. All vans are air-conditioned. Pagers and cellular phones keep drivers in communication with the Community Outreach office. Appointments are required for van service. Vans transport patients Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Appointments are taken Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., on a first-come, first-served basis. Rides are scheduled based on the availability of vans and drivers. This is a curb-to-curb service. Therefore, it is important that clients who need special assistance have someone to accompany them. Patients should call 440-816-4046 to schedule an appointment.

Southwest General Health Center offers a variety of health education classes and support groups to help you and your family begin or maintain a healthy lifestyle. Support groups are free of charge. Residents of Southwest General's taxing district -- Berea, Brook Park, Columbia Township, Middleburg Heights, Olmsted Falls and Strongsville -- receive a 20 percent discount on registration fees for most education classes.