Your Gifts At Work: 20 Years of The Gerson Legacy at MetroHealth

Supporting patients on their paths to recovery

Cleveland entrepreneur Benjamin S. Gerson was in his 40s and living a successful life when he was diagnosed with polio in 1953.

Mr. Gerson received exceptional care at MetroHealth, then called City Hospital, the third largest of 13 polio centers in the country. Despite his early need for an iron lung and a lifelong dependence on a wheelchair and a personal assistant, he was able to continue his work and build a flourishing business in electrical materials. For the 20 years he lived with the illness, Mr. Gerson developed a passion for improving the lives of people who were disenfranchised as a result of economic, physical, educational, racial and cultural barriers. In 1968, he sold his business and established the Benjamin S. Gerson Foundation charitable fund so his generosity would continue even after his death.

Years later, in 2004, Mr. Gerson’s children generously chose to honor his memory by establishing The MetroHealth Benjamin S. Gerson Family Resource Center and seeding the Benjamin S. Gerson Family Endowment to support the center’s critical work.

Operating under the auspices of the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute, the Benjamin S. Gerson Family Resource Center connects patients with community resources after a trauma of illness interrupts – and sometimes forever alters – their lives. This important service, offered at no charge, helps equip Gerson Center patients to live the best lives they can after a catastrophic life event, in much the same way that Benjamin Gerson focused on fulfillment and independence even after his diagnosis.

In the Gerson Center, rehabilitation patients are referred to resources to assist them with finding accessible housing, financial counseling, mortgage modifications, transportation, home health and respite care, medical equipment, behavioral health and substance use treatment, support groups, preventive care, housing modifications, recreation and wellness, vocational services and more.

Since its inception, the Gerson Center has helped nearly 2,000 people rebuild their lives. Over the last year:

• Patients accessed supportive services thanks to strong partnerships with the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging, Cuyahoga County Department of Senior and Adult Services and the City of Cleveland Department of Aging.
• More than 30 patients received assistance with career transitions in pursuit of financial stability in partnership with state rehabilitation agency Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities. 
• More than 50 patients were assisted with obtaining durable medical equipment, made possible through the Gerson Center’s partnership with MedWish International to repurpose durable medical goods.

When additional financial support is necessary, the Gerson Center Gap Fund covers those patients in need. Last year, the Gerson Gap Fund provided assistance and services worth more than $21,000, including durable medical equipment, temporary wheelchair ramps, rental and utility assistance, auto insurance and bus passes to help patients get to work and medical appointments.

Now valued at $1 million, the interest generated by this endowment supports staffing costs that keep the Gerson Center changing lives daily. For the Gerson Endowment to remain strong through the coming years, an additional $400,000 in philanthropic contributions is needed.

By contributing to this endowment, the echo of your generosity will be heard for years to come. Learn more about endowments and how to support them on our Endowments page.