Cleveland Clinic Florida Names Conor Delaney, MD, CEO and President

Delaney succeeds Joseph Iannotti, MD, who served as interim CEO and president for the $1.8 billion Florida region since June.

Conor Delaney, MD, has been named president and CEO of the five-hospital Cleveland Clinic Florida region, effective Oct. 15, the health system announced this week.

Delaney succeeds Joseph Iannotti, MD, Ph.D., who served as interim CEO and president for the $1.8 billion Florida region since June. Iannotti will return to his roles as Chief of Staff, and Chief Academic and Innovation Officer for the Cleveland Clinic Florida region.

"I am incredibly excited to join the Cleveland Clinic Florida team and contribute to our mission of providing patients access to Cleveland Clinic care, while helping grow research and education throughout the region," Delaney said in a media release.

Delaney is a colorectal surgeon and professor of surgery with more than 30 years of experience in healthcare. He joined Cleveland Clinic in 1999 as a fellow and began his career at Cleveland Clinic in 2000 on the clinical associate staff.

Delaney now serves as chairman of Cleveland Clinic's Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute, with oversight of the departments of Colorectal Surgery, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Nutrition and General Surgery throughout Cleveland Clinic.

The institute has more than 240 staff physicians, more than 80 advanced practice providers, and 140 residents and fellows, who perform 48,000 surgical cases and 90,000 endoscopic procedures each year.

Delaney earned his medical degree from University College Dublin Medical School. In 1992. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and earned his master’s degree in surgery in 1994.

His doctorate degree is from the University of Pittsburgh. He holds the Victor W. Fazio, M.D., Endowed Chair in Colorectal Surgery.

Weston-based Cleveland Clinic Florida includes five hospitals across the southeastern corner of Florida, outpatient venues, and a newly opened Cleveland Clinic Florida Research and Innovation in Port St. Lucie, north of Palm Beach.  

"Dr. Delaney's accomplishments and leadership experience will further advance our mission and expand our capabilities throughout Florida," said Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, M.D. "He brings a remarkable dedication and commitment to providing the highest level of quality and safe care for our patients."  

Iannotti has been serving as interim CEO since the departure in late June of Wael Barsoum, MD, an orthopedic surgeon, who left the health system he led for six years to become president and chief transformation officer at privately held HOPCo, which operates orthopedic practices, specialty hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, medical risk management.

At the time of Barsoum's departure, Cleveland Clinic was hemorrhaging red ink and cutting staff and services because of the COVID-19 lockdown, but Barsoum told local media that was not why he stepped aside.

"I am choosing to leave for another job," he told the South Florida SunSentinel in June. "It has nothing to do with Cleveland Clinic cutting costs. I’m just ready for a change."

Baroum, an orthopedic reconstruction specialist, remains on staff at Cleveland Clinic Florida Professor of Surgery in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine.