Cleveland Clinic receives $10M for executive education program

Eric and Sheila Samson

Cleveland Clinic has received a $10 million gift from a South African steel executive to establish an education program for healthcare executives.

The donation comes from Eric and Sheila Samson. Eric Samson had heart surgery 10 years ago at Cleveland Clinic. The procedure was performed by the Clinic’s current chief executive, Dr. Delos “Toby” Cosgrove, and the two have remained friends since then, according to a statement from the Clinic.

A 2006 report in a South African newspaper called Samson “probably South Africa’s richest resident.” He’s the founder of a company called Macsteel.

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As a result of his gift, the Clinic will establish the Samson Global Leadership Academy for Healthcare Executives, slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2011. The program is expected to incorporate classroom study with hands-on experience, as up-and-coming executives work side-by-side with business executives at the Clinic.

The new program will be modeled on Cleveland Clinic Academy, which is in its seventh year, and provided leadership and management instruction to more than 650 medical leaders in 2009, according to the statement.

“The Samson Academy will focus on preparing business leaders to handle the challenges of running large organizations,” said Dr. James Stoller, chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Education Institute.

Stoller and Dr. Caryl Hess, director of the Cleveland Clinic Academy, will supervise the Samson Academy.