Hospitals

Cleveland Clinic appoints new CEO

Toby Cosgrove's successor is Tomislav Mihaljevic, a cardiothoracic surgeon and the CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He will take the reins January 1.

In May, Cleveland Clinic President and CEO Dr. Toby Cosgrove announced his intention to step down.

Now, four months later, the health system has named his successor: Dr. Tomislav “Tom” Mihaljevic, the current CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He will take the helm January 1, 2018.

Mihaljevic is a cardiothoracic surgeon, meaning his area of expertise is similar to that of Cosgrove, who is a cardiac surgeon.

But unlike his predecessor, Mihaljevic is originally from Croatia and earned his medical degree from the University of Zagreb. He moved to America in 1995 and joined the staff of Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

By 2004, he came to Cleveland Clinic, where he specialized in minimally invasive and robotically assisted cardiac surgeries.

Mihaljevic’s work has been rather notable. In 2005, he earned a patent for a cardioscopy system for minimally invasive cardiac surgery. A few years ago, he spoke with HeartValveSurgery.com, an online patient community and educational resource, about the benefits of robotic mitral valve repair.

Additionally, he won the Cleveland Clinic Innovation Award in 2006 and 2007.

More recently, he served as chief of staff and the chairman of the Heart & Vascular Institute of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He held that position until 2015, when he was appointed CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

According to a news release, a nomination committee unanimously recommended Mihaljevic as Cosgrove’s successor, and the board of governors and board of directors unanimously selected him.

In a statement, Mihaljevic did not comment on his new role, but rather on the future of healthcare at Cleveland Clinic:

Though healthcare is in the midst of a major transformation, Cleveland Clinic is very well positioned for the future. Our ongoing success will hinge on our ability to maintain high-quality outcomes, while reducing healthcare costs, encouraging innovation and improving access and affordabilty for patients.

As for Cosgrove, he will work with Mihaljevic on a transition process until the end of 2017. On January 1, he’ll take on an advisory role that will be determined by Mihaljevic and the board of directors.

“While I may be stepping aside as president and CEO, I will not be leaving Cleveland Clinic behind,” Cosgrove said.

It will be interesting to watch whether Mihaljevic will mirror Cosgrove’s style or take his own route. For example, Cosgrove was part of President Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum, which has been disbanded. And under his leadership, Cleveland Clinic announced its 2018 annual fundraiser will not take place at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

How will Mihaljevic lead the organization? We’ll have to wait until next year to find out.

Photo: cnythzl, Getty Images

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