2 key executives depart Cleveland Clinic; larger reorganization on the horizon

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Two top Cleveland Clinic executives have left amid a reorganization of the health system and its leadership.

Spouses David Strand, the Clinic’s chief operating officer, and Dr. Bridget Duffy, its chief experience officer, have left for San Francisco to “pursue other opportunities,” according to a memo distributed to Clinic staff.

The memo said areas around “medical operations, emerging business, and patient experience” were being realigned to make the health system more efficient and better support the Clinic’s clinical areas. Spokeswoman Eileen Sheil declined to discuss the changes. But the memo said staff would learn more about the restructuring in the coming days.

Strand was key to the health system’s new business strategy. He came to the Clinic in July 2007 as its chief emerging businesses officer responsible for developing new revenue streams in areas outside the Clinic’s core focuses of medicine and medical research, as well as overseeing projects like the Clinic’s growth in Abu Dhabi. He retained these responsibilities when he became chief operating officer last August.

Emerging businesses are critical for the Clinic, which is trying to increase revenues as operating profit margins narrow for most hospitals. Early efforts included a Wellness Enterprise and an expanded reference lab. The Clinic also recently licensed a piece of software to a financial services company.

Equally important was Duffy, who was charged with improving the patient experience at the Cleveland Clinic at a time when health rankings and Medicare give more weight to patients’ opinions. She focused on everything from redesigning patient gowns to artwork; navigation to a “healing service division” that offered counseling and stress reduction to patients. The position was the first-of-its kind at the Clinic.

Duffy outlined her philosophy on changing the patient experience in the video below.