How difficult is it to find a hospital executive who wants to live in the Middle East and help a renowned American health institution start a 360-bed hospital from scratch?
Cleveland Clinic officials are about to find out.
For unspecified “personal reasons,” Dr. Andrew Fishleder is stepping down as CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a 2.6-million-square-foot multispecialty hospital that’s set to open in the United Arab Emirates in late 2012, the Plain Dealer reported.
So now an international search is on to find Fishleder’s replacement to lead the hospital, which will be staffed by Western-trained, North American board-certified or equivalent physicians.
In the meantime, Dr. Mark McPhee, chief operating officer of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, will hold the CEO post.
Around 25 Clinic employees are working in Abu Dhabi now, focusing on information technology, staffing and overseeing construction, but that number is expected to roughly triple by the end of the year.
