This year the Rae Ann Nursing facilities really promoted health and wellness during National Nursing Home Week.

Over 100 employees from Rae Ann and The Belvedere assisted living participated in the first annual Rae Ann Walk on May 15, 2013.

The staff had a 2 mile path from the Belvedere of Westlake and Rae Ann Suburban down Detroit Road to Rae Ann Westlake and back again.  Over $1500 was generously given from staff, residents, families, and vendors to benefit the Boston Marathon “One Fund.”  Their vendors who contributed include: Signarama, Physician’s Ambulance, Blue Ribbon Meats, Hercules & Hercules and McKesson.

Everyone involved agreed that this was so much fun and such a great success, that Rae Ann plans to do this as an annual fundraising event.

“This was a a great day for everyone.  Whenever you can bring your team together, support a great cause, and have a lot of fun, then everybody wins,” stated Marketing Director Carleen Broberg.

CLEVELAND, OH; May 1, 2013 — MedWorks will partner with North Coast Health Ministry to host a one-day primary care clinic on June 8, 2013 from 9 a.m. until 3p.m. The clinic will take place at North Coast Health Ministry, 16110 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, Ohio 44107. Appointments can be made by calling the MedWorks Appointment Line at 216-201-9325. Walk–in patients will also be accepted between 9a.m. and 2p.m.

The clinic will feature about 30health care professionals and lay volunteers who will provide a broad range of primary care services. Services will include physical exams, wellness checks, lab tests and a small pharmacy.Each patient will also have the opportunity to meet with a social worker to help schedule follow-up appointments through North Coast Health Ministry and other providers for which they qualify. All services will be provided free of charge.

MedWorks is a non-profit that provides free healthcare clinics to Ohio’s un- and under-insured. Through its successful collaborations with hospitals, corporate sponsors, and medical and non- medical volunteers, MedWorks provides care for its patients and serves as an access point for those individuals to the medical community.

This event is made possible by the generous support of our many in-kind corporate sponsors as well as financial support from The Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation, the Cleveland Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and The Abington Foundation.

For more information about MedWorks, visit our website:www.medworks.usa.org.

CLEVELAND – Dr. Alex Johnson, who led Cuyahoga Community College’s Metropolitan Campus from 1993 to 2003, will return to the College in July as its fourth permanent president, the Board of Trustees announced today.

“Since leaving his position as Metropolitan Campus president a decade ago, Dr. Johnson has gained vital experience in two very diverse community college environments,” said Jerry L. Kelsheimer, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “He brings a unique perspective that is both internal and external, and we are extremely pleased that Cuyahoga Community College’s continued growth will be carried out under his strong leadership.”

Johnson is currently president of the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), where he focuses on strengthening the college’s core mission of providing affordable access to quality education for nearly 60,000 students annually at nine campuses and centers in greater Pittsburgh. After leaving Tri-C in 2003, he became chancellor of Delgado Community College in New Orleans, serving in that capacity during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

In returning to Tri-C, Johnson will succeed Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton, who has guided unprecedented institutional development during 21 years as president. Thornton announced in January that she would retire, effective June 30.

“As Metropolitan Campus president I had the great privilege to serve under and work closely with Dr. Thornton for 10 years,” said Johnson. “It is indeed both an honor and very humbling that the Board has the confidence in my ability to build upon her tremendous legacy.

“Duringits 50-year history, Tri-C hasbecomenotedforinnovationsintheuseoftechnologyforinstructionaldesignanddelivery,culturaladvancementslikeJazzFest,andotherachievementsincludingtheCorporateCollege. I look forward to continuing to fostersuchachievementsbefittingaLeagueforInnovationinstitution,butmoreimportantlycontinuing toadvanceits‘learning-centered’philosophytoimproveaccess,learningandattainment.”

Finalists participated in College forums last week at the Metropolitan Campus. Kelsheimer said additional meetings with faculty, staff and students will be scheduled over the next four to six weeks after Johnson winds down the responsibilities of his current position.

“Thanks to Tri-C’s reputation and record of success, there was tremendous interest in this opportunity,” said Kelsheimer. “Ultimately, Dr. Johnson was the clear choice among a very strong group of candidates.

“In Dr. Johnson, we have found a strong leader with the ability to extend his influence beyond the College itself.  He has an absolute commitment to student success and to supporting our faculty and staff and has demonstrated his ability to manage fiscal affairs responsibly. Moreover, he will be aligned and engaged with the community’s needs and interests, and willing and able to evolve our organization in response to a changing environment.”

The 20-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee, chaired by Trustee David W. Whitehead and including faculty, staff and community representation, narrowed the field to three finalists after interviewing eight candidates; one of the three subsequently withdrew from consideration for family reasons.

An executive-search firm had previously identified 15 “top candidates” after reviewing more than 40 applications.In addition to Johnson the committee interviewed Dr. Terrence J. Burgess, president of San Diego City College; Dr. Stephen M. Curtis, president of Community College of Philadelphia; Dr. Craig Foltin, executive vice president/treasurer, Administration & Finance, at Tri-C; Dr. Lars A. Hafner, former president of the State College of Manatee-Sarastota (Florida);

Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery, president of Sacramento City College; Dr. Belinda S. Miles, provost and executive vice president, Academic and Student Affairs, at Tri-C; and Dr. Daniel J. Phelan, president of Jackson Community College District.

During his tenure at CCAC, Johnson is credited with strengthening the college’s leadership in meeting the Pittsburgh region’s workforce and economic development needs as well as expanding recognition of the college regionally and nationally, building CCAC’s commitment to diversity and updating the facilities needed for innovative learning. He has also worked to strengthen the college’s financial position through effective and efficient budget management processes and the expansion of revenue streams, including a groundbreaking $41 million fundraising campaign.

CCAC annually educates 33,000 credit students through 155 degree, certificate and transfer programs and offers non-credit and workforce development courses to 30,000 students.

While chancellor at Delgado Community College, Johnson served on multiple local and regional boards and advisory committees and contributed his expertise to the recovery of New Orleans as a member of several committees of Mayor C. Ray Nagin’s “Bring New Orleans Back Commission.” Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco appointed him to the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

Johnson currently serves on the boards of the National Labor College, the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). He is serving in numerous capacities with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), including member of the Board and its Executive Committee, chair of the Committee on Community College Advancement, member of the Voluntary Framework on Accountability Steering Committee, member of the 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, and co-chair of the Implementation Committee for the Commission’s report Reclaiming the American Dream.

He earned a doctorate from the Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree from Lehman College, a bachelor’s degree from Winston-Salem State University and is the recipient of two honorary degrees.

Tri-C is the largest of 23 community colleges in Ohio. The College is second in Ohio and 61st in the nation in conferring associate degrees in all disciplines.

Fully accredited, the College has been selected as an Achieving the Dream College and is a board member college of the League for Innovation. Each year more than 55,000 credit and non-credit students take courses at our four traditional campuses, two Corporate College locations, 50+ off campus sites and via television and the Internet. Offering more than 1,000 credit courses and more than 140 career and technical programs and liberal arts curricula, Cuyahoga Community College is a highly respected academic institution focused on student success.

CLEVELAND–Dr. Ron Liss will succeed Dr. Patricia Rowell as the president of Cuyahoga Community College’s (Tri-C®) Western Campus.Dr. Patricia Rowell, retiring in June, served as president of the Western Campus for seven years.

“I am very pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Ron Liss as the next president of Cuyahoga Community College’s Western Campus,” saidDr. Belinda Miles, Executive Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs at Cuyahoga Community College. “We look forward to Dr. Liss arriving in Cleveland as Dr. Patricia Rowell’s successor; as we wish Dr. Rowell farewell and the best of luck in her retirement.

“We are delighted to have had a rich and diverse pool of talent in the Western Campus presidential search at Cuyahoga Community College and know that the selection of Dr. Ron Liss represented the best choice. A seasoned educator, Dr. Liss has held academic and administrative positions in three community colleges in two states and knows well the classroom environment, having started his career as a teacher,” saidDr. Jerry Sue Thornton, President.

Dr. Liss is currently the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) in New Mexico, where he has worked since 2007. Dr. Liss holds a Ph.D. in Education Leadership and Management from American University in Washington, D.C., a Master of Arts degree in Instructional Systems Design from University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a Bachelorof Science in Education from the State University College of New York at Buffalo.

Prior to his work at SFCC, Dr. Liss held numerous positions at Montgomery College in Maryland, including Dean for Business, Management, Chemistry, and Information Sciences; Director of Distance Learning and Academic Innovation; and Director of Academic and Student Affairs. He spent 15 years at the Community College of Baltimore County as faculty, department chair, division chair and Director of Instructional Technology. Dr. Liss began his career as a high school teacher.

Cuyahoga Community College is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.  The Western Campus, located at 11000 Pleasant Valley Road in Parma, was dedicated in 1975, although it first opened its doors to 3,000 students in 1966 in a temporary facility, the former Crile Hospital, on that site.

A man and woman from Lorain County were charged with human trafficking crimes after forcing a 16-year-old girl and 19-year-old woman to have sex for money, said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office, and Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Jeremy Mack, 37, of Elyria, and Ashley Onysko, 23, of Avon Lake, were charged with two counts of sex trafficking (one involving a minor) in a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court.

“Human trafficking often happens in plain sight,” Anthony said. “The FBI, our law enforcement partners, along with the assistance of vigilant citizens will continue efforts to tackle this problem.”

“These defendants are accused of preying on teens in our community,” Dettelbach said. “We will work to get help for the victims and bring the accused to justice.”

Mack and Onysko were arrested April 9, 2013 at 8 Tattersal Court in Elyria. Onysko told investigators that she worked for Mack facilitating meetings for sex between girls and men. She posted advertisements on backpage.com and craigslist.com, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

One victim, identified as “Jane Doe #1” was 19 and was forced to have sex for money in order to pay off a drug debt to Mack. Jane Doe #1 said several girls lived at 8 Tattersal Court and were forced by Mack to prostitute themselves in order to pay off their drug debts to him, according to the affidavit.

Jane Doe #1 began seeing several men a day charged to engage in sexual acts with them. Mack or Onysko drove Jane Doe #1 to the appointments but she had to turn all the money over directly to Mack, according to the affidavit.

Jane Doe #1 stated that if she kept any money, she believed Mack would “beat the living crap out of me.” She witnessed him push, hit and choke other girls and said Mack often carried a handgun and stun gun, according to the affidavit.

Another victim, identified as Jane Doe #2, met Mack through Mack’s son in March 2013.

Jane Doe #2 noticed that the other girls were afraid of Mack and didn’t seem allowed to leave the house except to meet clients, according to the affidavit.

On March 29, 2013, Mack instructed Jane Doe #2 to get fixed up and instructed other girls to take photos of her for backpage.com. Jane Doe #2 said she didn’t want to be a prostitute but did so because Mack was “a guy with a gun who knew where I lived,” according to the affidavit.

Onysko soon received a call for an appointment with Jane Doe #2. Onysko arranged the meeting and provided Jane Doe #2 with condoms. She gave all the money to Mack. Jane Doe #2 left the house on Tattersal after her parents discovered her photographs on backpage.com, according to the affidavit.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bridget M. Brennan and Carole Skutnik following an investigation by the FBI and Elyria Police Department.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  All defendants are presumed innocent of the charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.