Doctor focuses on holistic approach to get patients physically, mentally and emotionally healthy

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The Medical Director for University Hospitals Cutler Center for Men, Dr. Gregory Hall, always knew what he wanted to do.

“My father was a dentist, and I had a number of other doctors. I had a cousin that was a pediatrician,” he said, “So, really early, I was like, that’s what I want to do.”

The product of Cleveland Public Schools serves as the Executive Director for the National Institute for African-American health. He’s also the President of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.

Dr. Hall specializes in Internal Medicine. He’s been in private practice for 20 years.

“I learned as much from my patients as I think they learn from me, just on a different perspective,” he said.

A different perspective Dr. Hall said that became even greater during this pandemic. The father of three was hospitalized with COVID-19 just weeks before the vaccine came out. He said he thought he was going to die.

“I was in the regular hospital room for three days, and then they transferred me to the intensive care. I just kept getting worse, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t think I’m going to make it.’ And you know, just it was just scary, very scary, intensive care unit people were dying.”

Dr. Hall even lost several of his longtime patients to the virus. Through his personal experiences, he said he has even more purpose and the opportunity to focus on men’s health as the Medical Director for University Hospitals Cutler Center for Men.

“The disparities for men compared to women is stark,” he said.

The program starts this summer. Hall said it’s a holistic approach that aims to get men to help they need physically, mentally, emotionally, and more.

“Not just addressing their health, but their education and their families and their social interactions,” he said. “Men have the highest infant mortality, the highest suicide rate, a much higher depression rate than people think. We think we’re going to be a national model for how to take this on. There’s no one doing this in Cleveland or anywhere.”

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