Benson has had four open-heart surgeries at four different hospitals over the past 27 years for a congenital valve defect. In May of 2010 he had a successful reverse Ross Procedure at The Cleveland Clinic by the only man in the world who performs them, Dr. Gosta Pettersson. Impressed by the history of The Cleveland Clinic and the entire system headed by innovative CEO Dr. Delos ‘Toby’ Cosgrove, Robby speaks from real patient experience when he says he believes The Cleveland Clinic is the world leader in excellent and empathetic patient care, and should be the template for healthcare in America. Cleveland Clinic Heart Care has been ranked #1 in America for 16 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

Robby recently completed his upcoming book, I’M NOT DEAD… YET! a medical memoir of surviving a congenital valve defect while forging ahead with a dynamic career in and out of Hollywood. Benson’s goal is to help open heart patients and their loved ones get through surgery and recovery with knowledge and humor. He has mentored many cardiac patients and their families over the past twenty-seven years. Robby has spoken before the Senate Appropriation Committee in Washington, DC on behalf of heart research funding for the NIH, and he represented the American Heart Association with the late Senator Ted Kennedy and Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, in support of the Kennedy Hatch bill to stop tobacco companies from sponsoring sporting events and promoting their products to minors.

Below is information about the patient experience movement and May Summit from The Cleveland Clinic Website:

No provider can afford to offer anything less than the best clinical, physical and emotional experience to patients and families. As patients become savvier, they judge healthcare providers not only on clinical outcomes, but also on their ability to be compassionate and deliver excellent, patient-centered care.

Patient Experience: A Key Differentiator
The Empathy and Innovation Summit is a three-day, multidisciplinary conference devoted to exploring patient experience as a key differentiator essential to the future of healthcare delivery. Click here to see the complete agenda.

Summit Format
The Summit’s unique format provides specialty tracks for healthcare social media experts and a special agenda for nurses on Sunday, May 22. Click here to see the complete agenda.

Expert Panelists
The Summit features expert panel discussions about the national patient experience movement. The Summit provides participants from all disciplines the opportunity to identify shared challenges and inspire innovative solutions that will transform the patient experience and elevate customer satisfaction as a competitive differentiator.

Call for Abstracts
You are invited to submit an abstract describing established programs or developing programs which build empathy between caregivers and patients. Programs may be in developmental stages for consideration in the poster session. Programs with outcomes will be given highest priority.

Stakeholders include: Global thought leaders and providers in healthcare, academia and business.

Sponsors
The Empathy and Innovation Summit is sponsored by the Cleveland Clinic Office of Patient Experience and the generous support of these sponsors:

Partner – GE

Gold Sponsor – Press Ganey

Funny and revealing.

On Beast:  ”I’ve never been so perfectly typecast.”

On love:  ”I do completely believe in love…I’m a complete romantic.”

Also discusses his upcoming book I’M NOT DEAD… YET!

Click on the link  “Robby Benson’s role as the Beast” and check it out!

Robby Benson has almost finished his memoir, I’M NOT DEAD… YET!

I’M NOT DEAD… YET! is a funny and poignant look at surviving four open heart surgeries for a congenital valve defect, while forging ahead with a dynamic creative career in and out of Hollywood.

Robby has mentored fellow patients since his first surgery in 1984. His goal in writing I’M NOT DEAD… YET! is to broaden his outreach to open heart patients and their loved ones, helping them get through surgery and recovery with knowledge and humor.

(This photo was taken by Karla just two weeks after his successful reverse Ross procedure by the only man in the world who performs them — the brilliant Dr. Gosta Petterson — at the famed Cleveland Clinic.  Here’s  Robby, after running two miles to the beach, about to swim in the Atlantic!)

Robby’s first book, WHO STOLE THE FUNNY? A NOVEL OF HOLLYWOOD published by HarperCollins (2007) made the best seller list of the L.A. Times.

Robby’s new book coming soon!

An autobiographical journey to help patients and their loved ones navigate through open heart surgery and recovery with knowledge and humor.

Robby’s first book, WHO STOLE THE FUNNY? A NOVEL OF HOLLYWOOD published by HarperCollins (2007) made the best seller list of the L.A. Times.

Robby Benson’s Warner Bros. basketball classic ONE ON ONE (1977) is finally available on DVD. Benson wrote the screenplay for ONE ON ONE (with Jerry Segal) at age 17, not only to expose the issues surrounding the inequities in ‘amateur’ college athletics, he wrote One on One because HE LOVED TO PLAY THE GAME. Benson’s basketball skills at the time were lauded by everyone from John Wooden to Red Auerbach (Robby was offered a spot personally by Auerbach for Celtics rookie camp) to Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Bradley, Reggie Miller, and scores of other top college and NBA and players and coaches through the years.

Cast in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, Robby bought out his contract when Warner’s gave One on One the green light. As an actor/athlete Robby Benson was the real thing. (Billy Mills — the only USA 10,000 meter Olympic Gold Medal winner, personally chose Robby to portray him in Running Brave). Plus, any guy from 8 to 80 who saw One on One fell in love with Benson’s love interest, the gorgeous red-headed tutor played by Annette O’Toole.

Click here to go to Warner Bros. Archive online and find out how to get One On One on DVD.

Robby interviewed by ABC News on September 6, 2007 for his new book, “Who Stole the Funny”.

This is Robby’s interview on Good Day LA, with Steve Edwards, on August 31, 2007 for his new book, “Who Stole the Funny”.