Cleveland Clinic Announces New Regional Leadership Structure in Florida

CLEVELAND: Cleveland Clinic has announced a new regional leadership structure in Florida, anticipated to begin in January 2019. The new leadership team will provide oversight for its current Florida hospital in Weston and its facilities including Coral Springs Family Health Center, Palm Beach Gardens, Parkland, West Palm Beach, and Wellington and pending regulatory review and approval, Martin Health System and Indian River Medical Center.

The regulatory review process overseeing the addition of Martin Health System and Indian River Medical Center to Cleveland Clinic is expected to be completed in January 2019.

“As we continue to extend our presence in Florida, this new structure will further Cleveland Clinic’s mission and allow us to stay true to improving the lives of as many patients as possible,” said Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, M.D. “Working as a team, our caregivers place the patient at the center of everything we do. ‘Patients First’ is not just a motto; it’s a commitment to providing exceptional care in an exceptional way to every patient.”

Pending the regulatory review and approval, under this new structure, the current CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic Florida, Wael Barsoum, M.D., will serve as the CEO and president of the Cleveland Clinic Florida region. Dr. Barsoum completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at Cleveland Clinic in 2000 and re-joined the staff after his fellowship in 2001 in Naples. He then returned to Cleveland in 2003 as a member of the Orthopaedic Surgery staff.

In addition to his leadership and training roles, he specializes in adult reconstructive surgery, including primary/revision hip and knee replacement, hip and knee reconstruction, and knee arthroscopy. Dr. Barsoum has directed several initiatives to improve clinical outcomes, patient experience, and hospital operations.

As a part of this new Cleveland Clinic Florida structure, under Dr. Barsoum’s leadership, the following positions have been developed.

• Joseph Iannotti, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Orthopaedic and Rheumatologic Institute for nearly two decades, has been named Chief of Staff for the Cleveland Clinic region in Florida. Dr. Iannotti joined Cleveland Clinic in 2000. In addition to his clinical practice as an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Iannotti has been the co-director of the Orthopaedic Research Center, with a joint appointment in the department of biomedical engineering. He brings years of experience in clinical integration, clinical care paths and cost efficiencies, which will be instrumental as medical specialties offered in southeast Florida expand.

• Rodolfo J. Blandon, M.D., who has been serving as Chief of Staff in Weston, has accepted the new role of president of Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston. This position was previously held by Dr. Barsoum who will now oversee this newly established Florida regional structure. Dr. Blandon has been a member of the Cleveland Clinic Florida staff since 2001. Over the past 18 years, Dr. Blandon has made significant contributions to the growth of Cleveland Clinic Florida, while maintaining a robust practice in interventional radiology and serving as the chairman of the department of imaging.

• Gregory Rosencrance, M.D., currently chairman of the Cleveland Clinic’s Medicine Institute, will return to Florida to serve as president of Indian River Medical Center (IRMC) upon the completion of the regulatory review process. Dr. Rosencrance joined the staff at Cleveland Clinic Florida in 2014, moving to Cleveland in 2016 as chairman of the Medicine Institute. During his tenure in Cleveland, he was instrumental in launching Cleveland Clinic Community Care, the hospital system’s population health initiative.

Indian River Interim President and CEO Karen Davis, who was selected in November 2017 by the IRMC Board of Directors, will return to her role of senior director at healthcare consulting firm Alvarez and Marsal, once IRMC’s addition to the Cleveland Clinic region in Florida has gone through regulatory review.

• Robert L. Lord, Jr. will continue in his role as president of Martin Health System. In November 2015, Lord was named the president of Martin Health after previously having served as its chief operating officer, senior vice president responsible for system facility management, and chief legal officer. He joined Martin Health in 1998. Lord is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and is Florida Bar board certified as a healthcare attorney.

As the Cleveland Clinic Florida regional structure continues to evolve, additional leadership positions will be announced.

Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston

Indian River Medical Center

Martin Health System