MetroHealth Appoints Chair of Neurosurgery
The MetroHealth System has appointed Michael L. Kelly, MD, as its new Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery. Dr. Kelly, who joined MetroHealth in 2015, also serves as Director of Neurotrauma.
“I am excited to lead the department in its mission to provide exceptional patient care, teaching, and research for the benefit of our community in northeast Ohio and beyond,” says Dr. Kelly, who had been serving as Interim Chair since June 2022.
“We have a unique, collaborative environment in neurosurgery that we share with many other departments at MetroHealth,” he said. “I look forward to seeing us grow, especially in the areas of neurotrauma, cerebrovascular, and complex spine surgery.”
Dr. Kelly is also an Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, and Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and MetroHealth Medical Center.
“Dr. Kelly joined our institution because of his deep sense of mission and sharing our core values. He is an experienced surgeon caring for people who have sustained life-altering trauma,” says Richard J. Blinkhorn Jr., MD, interim Executive Vice President, Chief Clinical & Academic Affairs Officer.
“Not only does he bring surgical skill to their care, he also brings heartfelt compassion. We are extremely fortunate to have a person of his caliber now leading the Department.”
Dr. Kelly received his medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. He then completed a residency in Neurosurgery at Cleveland Clinic, followed by fellowship training in bioethics, health policy, and trauma outcomes research at both the University of Chicago and the Division of Trauma Surgery at MetroHealth. Dr. Kelly is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
MetroHealth’s Department of Neurosurgery is nationally recognized for its care of traumatic brain and spine injuries and is a regional and national leader in the care of complex spine conditions including scoliosis. The Department’s expertise includes vascular and skull base neurosurgery, brain tumor treatment, and neurocritical care in close collaboration with MetroHealth’s Neurology and Neurointensive care teams. In collaboration with the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Department of Neurosurgery is one of 14 nationally recognized Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems with active research projects focused on early therapeutics and outcome improvement for patients with spinal cord injury.
Founded in 1837, MetroHealth is leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery, and teamwork. Cuyahoga County’s public, safety-net hospital system, MetroHealth meets people where they are, providing care through four hospitals, four emergency departments, and more than 20 health centers and 40 additional sites. Each day, our 8,000 employees focus on providing our community with equitable health care–through patient-focused research, access to care, and support services–that seeks to eradicate health disparities rooted in systematic barriers. For more information, visit metrohealth.org.
