HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA), one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, today announced Michael Cuffe, MD, MBA, will become executive vice president and chief clinical officer of HCA Healthcare, effective January 1, 2022.

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HCA Healthcare Names Dr. Michael Cuffe Executive Vice President, Chief Clinical Officer (Photo: Business Wire)

In his new role, Dr. Cuffe will be responsible for the company’s clinical agenda. He will lead multiple areas including clinical quality, nursing, care transformation, and clinical informatics. He will also continue his existing responsibilities of leading physician services, which includes urgent care operations, graduate medical education (GME), laboratory services and more than 13,000 employed and managed physicians.

“Dr. Cuffe is a respected clinical and operational leader with a deep understanding of HCA Healthcare’s culture and operations,” said Sam Hazen, chief executive officer of HCA Healthcare. “His clinical background, passion for clinical excellence, and proven leadership at HCA Healthcare make him the right person to support our caregivers, integrate services across the organization, and advance our clinical quality agenda.”

Dr. Cuffe joined HCA Healthcare in 2011 as president and CEO of physician services. Under Dr. Cuffe’s leadership, HCA Healthcare has become the largest sponsor of GME programs in the United States, training more than 5,000 residents and fellows across 61 teaching hospitals. In addition, during his ten years with HCA Healthcare, Dr. Cuffe’s teams have expanded the scope of support they provide to the organization’s physician partners and residents while also broadening the network of care offered to patients through the growth of the company’s urgent care operations.

Prior to HCA Healthcare, Dr. Cuffe served as vice president for Ambulatory Services and chief medical officer for Duke University Health System. He previously served as vice president medical affairs of Duke University Health System and vice dean for the Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Cuffe is a graduate of MIT, and received his MD and MBA degree from Duke University. He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in cardiology at Duke University.

Previously, the clinical agenda for the organization was led by Jonathan Perlin, MD, Ph.D., who is leaving to become the president of The Joint Commission. Dr. Perlin joined HCA Healthcare in 2006 and established a clinical services organization that uses health information technology and data science to seek to continually improve care and create new clinical protocols. Under Dr. Perlin’s leadership, HCA Healthcare produced the landmark REDUCE MRSA study that demonstrated significant improvements for reducing bloodstream infections, creating a new standard of care.

“I am grateful for Jon’s dedicated service to HCA Healthcare and his continued focus on clinical quality,” said Hazen. “As a leader of our organization for many years, the research and work of his teams have significantly improved care for our patients. We wish him well as he continues to make an impact in healthcare and in the lives of patients.”

About HCA Healthcare

Nashville-based HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services comprising 183 hospitals and approximately 2,000 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, in 20 states and the United Kingdom. With its founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare created a new model for hospital care in the United States, using combined resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the practice of medicine. HCA Healthcare has conducted a number of clinical studies, including one that demonstrated that full-term delivery is healthier than early elective delivery of babies and another that identified a clinical protocol that can reduce bloodstream infections in ICU patients by 44 percent. HCA Healthcare is a learning health system that uses its more than 32 million annual patient encounters to advance science, improve patient care and save lives. Please click here to connect with HCA Healthcare on social media.

All references to “Company,” “HCA” and “HCA Healthcare” as used throughout this document refer to HCA Healthcare, Inc. and its affiliates

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