Cleveland Clinic appoints Kenneth Ouriel, M.D., to lead Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi

Dr. Ouriel, Chairman of Cleveland Clinic's Division of Surgery and a vascular surgeon, assumes his new role immediately.

Earlier today, Cleveland Clinic signed an agreement with the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi to manage and operate Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), a network of healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi.

"Cleveland Clinic is known worldwide for offering the latest, most advanced medical treatment with superior clinical outcomes," said Delos M. "Toby" Cosgrove, M.D., President and CEO of Cleveland Clinic. "In broadening our presence abroad, we look forward to bringing our best practices to SKMC under the talented leadership of Dr. Ken Ouriel."

SKMC consists of the 700-bed Sheikh Khalifa Hospital, a 150-bed Behavior Sciences Pavilion and the 100-bed Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Center, in addition to more than 12 specialized outpatient clinics and nine primary healthcare centers around the city of Abu Dhabi.

In his new role, Dr. Ouriel will lead the management team of SKMC in implementing strategic initiatives and working with the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi to incorporate Cleveland Clinic's healthcare model. On Cleveland Clinic's campus, Tommaso Falcone, M.D., Associate Chief of Staff and Chairman, Obstetrics and Gynecology, has been named the Interim Chairman of the Division of Surgery.

"I look forward to embarking on this unique and exciting opportunity to work with the premier hospital of Abu Dhabi," Dr. Ouriel said. "This partnership will help raise the quality standards of healthcare around the world and I'm honored to be a part of that."

Today's announcement follows the agreement Cleveland Clinic and Mubadala Development signed in September of last year to design and build a new preeminent first-class specialty hospital on Al Suwwa Island, Abu Dhabi, within the next three years.