Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Appoints New Chief Executive Officer

Jorge Guzman, MD, named new leader while Rakesh Suri, MD, takes international role

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi today announced the appointment of a new chief executive officer (CEO) - Jorge A. Guzman, MD, MBA, effective March 31, 2021. 

Dr. Guzman has served as Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Chief of Staff since 2017. During that time, he has overseen physician recruitment and clinical operations for the 400-bed hospital, an integral part of Mubadala Health. Dr. Guzman is a staff physician in the hospital’s Critical Care Institute treating patients in Abu Dhabi, and a staff physician in Cleveland Clinic’s Critical Care department in Ohio.

Previously, Dr. Guzman served as vice president of Regional Hospital Medical Operations in Cleveland. He was director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit at main campus and director of Intensive Care Unit Operations for the Cleveland Clinic health system. He was appointed to Cleveland Clinic in the US in 2007.

Dr. Guzman received his medical degree from the Universidad Nacional de Cordoba in Argentina. He is a fellow of the American College of Critical Care and graduated from the Healthcare MBA program of Baldwin Wallace University. He has authored or co-authored more than 50 scientific papers in peer-reviewed medical journals and many book chapters, and is the awardee of two patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Outgoing CEO, Rakesh M. Suri, MD, DPhil., will return to Ohio from Abu Dhabi to serve as the President of International Operations.  In his new role, Dr. Suri will lead Cleveland Clinic’s overall international strategy and advance business development opportunities. In addition, he will be responsible for Global Patient Services and oversee operations for Cleveland Clinic Canada. 

During his tenure at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Suri led the recruitment of more than 400 world-class physicians and participated in the opening and initiation of clinical services throughout the hospital. He led the medical staff to deliver a suite of complex and innovative services with safety and quality outcomes that are competitive among leading academic medical centers globally.

Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, chairman of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said: “Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s leadership transition is taking place at a pivotal moment in regional and global healthcare, with a rapidly changing landscape and evolving patient needs.  Dr. Suri has made a measurable contribution to the exemplary clinical outcomes delivered at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in the four years of his leadership.  Through his expertise and understanding of the UAE and wider region, Dr. Guzman is ideally positioned to grow the size and scope of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s complex care offering, further enabling the development of a more sustainable healthcare sector for the nation.”