The Cleveland Clinic has announced gifts totaling $8 million from the Jones Day law firm and the Jones Day Foundation in support of two new community initiatives.

The gift will establish a community health worker program to connect local residents living near the clinic’s main campus with community-based services, as well as a legal-medical partnership with the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland to provide an evidence-based model of care, including legal aid lawyers working alongside Cleveland Clinic clinicians, case managers, and social workers. According to the Cleveland Clinic, when patients have access to legal services in a healthcare setting, they are more likely to take their medications as prescribed, experience less stress and better mental health, and have greater access to financial resources.

The gift was made in memory of the late Patrick McCartan, a former managing partner of Jones Day and member of Cleveland Clinic’s board of trustees who was passionate about community care. The Patrick F. McCartan Centennial Gallery, a new space in the front lobby of the clinic’s main campus, will be dedicated in his honor.

“Cleveland Clinic is a global healthcare leader that seeks to provide opportunities for better, healthier lives for the members of the communities it serves,” said Jones Day partner Chris Kelly. “Like Cleveland Clinic, Jones Day has a long-held belief in the transformative potential of giving back to the communities in which we live and work. The community health worker program is intended to make a tangible difference for our neighbors who need and deserve access to health resources.”

(Photo credit: Cleveland Clinic)