About our practice

MICHAEL YERUKHIM, MD

Dr. Yerukhim is an expert surgeon practicing in Cleveland, Ohio, and specializing in the treatment of diseases of the Ear, Nose and Throat, surgery of the Head and Neck, and Facial Plastic Surgery - Cosmetic and Reconstructive procedures of the Face, Ears and Neck. He is consistently regarded by his peers as one of the best Ear, Nose and Throat and Facial Plastic Surgeons in Northeast Ohio. He is also the Chair of the Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Southwest General Hospital.

The goal of our practice is to make you feel better – whether by improving your self-confidence and making you look better, repairing effects of trauma or prior surgery, addressing skin cancers or other tumors of the head and neck (including parotid and thyroid surgery), getting your nose to finally breathe, or addressing any number of other issues in the face, head and neck.

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Our philosophy is to give each patient a caring and reassuring experience. Even with the most challenging problems, we want to have you feel cared for from the moment you pick up the phone to schedule that initial consultation. Together with our patients, we will develop a customized and realistic treatment plan that combines state-of-the-art care with each patient’s unique needs.

Dr. Yerukhim’s expert and extensive training started at Case Western Reserve University’s Undergraduate Program, where he graduated cum laude. He then continued at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, a Top-25 nationally ranked school. Dr. Yerukhim’s hard work paid off with acceptance into the prestigious and ultra-competitive Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Residency Program at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center, again a Top-20 nationally ranked program.

This rigorous training allowed him to amass over 2,000 surgical cases and experience treatment of all segments of the population – from our smallest patients at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, to Level 1 Trauma reconstruction challenges at our county hospital, to the most challenging Head and Neck cases at University Hospitals, to the care of our veterans at one of the best VAs in the country. This training culminated in his final year as a Chief Resident at these institutions.

After such rigorous training, Dr. Yerukhim is able to comfortably offer his patients the full spectrum of ENT care and services. However, he chose to continue his training further and pursued additional sub-specialty training in Facial Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery. He was one of only 45 surgeons in the entire country to be selected for this prestigious fellowship. He completed this training on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, at the legendary Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York – the birthplace of American Rhinoplasty and another top-ranked Head and Neck Surgery Department. During this rigorous program, Dr. Yerukhim trained with some of the most experienced and innovative rhinoplasty surgeons in the world, trained residents - which he enjoys doing to this day - and gained valuable independent surgical experiences.

Dr. Yerukhim has published multiple articles in scientific publications on a variety of topics, from Facial Analysis to Stem Cells of the Inner Ear, and has presented at national and local professional society meetings. He enjoys teaching and mentoring and continues to train both residents and other medical professionals in the art and science of Head and Neck and Facial Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Yerukhim considers himself a native Clevelander. Although born in Moscow and fluent in Russian, he has called Cleveland home for more than 25 years and for all his adult life. During his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and children, exploring Cleveland’s vibrant art, music and food scenes, and playing the violin.

Lavonne Urban, LPC, MS Ed, NCC

Lavonne brings over 25 years of experience in the healthcare field to Dr. Yerukhim's ENT, Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgical practice. With her bachelor's and graduate education, coupled with training from such prominent institutions as The Cleveland Foundation and Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU), Lavonne's previous background as a Clinical Researcher, Executive Director and Mental Health Clinician, as well as a small business owner, has allowed her to bring her expertise to Dr. Yerukhim's practice.

As the practice manager, Lavonne is in charge of managing the day to day functioning of the office and ensuring that our patients receive the best care from the time that they book their first appointment, to the time that they return to full health. In addition, she is instrumental in the marketing, business and strategic planning that allows the practice to not only meet the needs of our patients now, but anticipate their needs in the future. 

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Lavonne graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Wooster and received her Master of Science from Youngstown State University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Lavonne is a state licensed clinical psychotherapist and as a clinician herself, understands the unique challenges to running a successful practice. You will often see Lavonne in the office with Wicket, a licensed Therapy Dog, who works to assist in putting our patients' minds at ease and provides a calming and enjoyable experience for them, young and old.  

Certifications

• Certification Authority Ohio Board of Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists

• The National Board of Certified Counselors

• Certified Disaster Mental Health Counselor