MetroHealth Names Chief Operating Officer/President of Hospital Division

Olusegun Ishmael, MD

CLEVELAND – MetroHealth Chief Executive Officer & President Airica Steed, Ed.D., MBA, RN, FACHE, has named Olusegun Ishmael, MD, MBA, to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer/President of the Hospital Division, effective Monday, January 16.

Dr. Ishmael now serves in a similar capacity as Chief Clinical Operations Officer at Sinai Chicago, a safety-net health system comprised of four hospitals, a nationally recognized research institute, and a large multispecialty medical group with over 40 specialties. At Sinai Chicago, Dr. Ishmael is involved in and serves in a critical leadership role in virtually all aspects of the health system’s clinical operations – inpatient services, emergency services, relationships with physician groups, strategic partnerships, and more.

In his new role, Dr. Ishmael will serve as the executive leader for MetroHealth’s hospital operations, including the Main Campus and The Glick Center, Community Hospitals, Behavioral Health Hospital, Rehabilitation and Correctional Medicine. His accountability includes oversight of medical and clinical operations, nursing services, emergency services, perioperative services, hospital and support services, public safety, facility services and space management. His initial priorities will be centered on driving continuous improvement, helping to elevate quality and patient centered care, building a culture of performance excellence and elevating community-focused programs.

”In his decades of experience, Dr. Ishmael has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to caring for the underserved. I am confident he will bring that same passion to MetroHealth and the Cleveland community,” Dr. Steed said. “He understands the essential role safety-net health systems play in advancing health equity and eradicating health disparities. He is also a collaborative and innovative leader who will partner with caregivers across the system to drive a strong focus on quality and patient safety to ensure the best possible experience for the individuals we serve.”

“I look forward to working with Dr. Steed and the entire MetroHealth team to elevate the already-impressive level of care they deliver every day to the Cleveland community,” Dr. Ishmael said. “MetroHealth should not only be the most admired public system in the nation but one of the best health systems – period. Everyone deserves access to exceptional health care, and I’m eager to work with the talented caregivers at MetroHealth to ensure that happens.”

Having grown up in Chicago and trained in Nigeria – where he was born – Dr. Ishmael has witnessed first-hand the inequities that can impact people’s health. As such, he has committed much of his career to serving underserved populations and ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality care through his work on the operational side of health care.

On the clinical side, Dr. Ishmael has extensive experience in primary care and emergency medicine. He has a strong commitment to medical education, having served as faculty for the family practice residency in Gary, Indiana, where he was a Clinical Assistant Professor at Indiana University. He has also worked in the health insurance and health technology sectors.

He earned his MBA from Purdue University and his medical degree from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. He completed his residency in family medicine at Methodist Hospitals in Gary, Indiana, and a fellowship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

He has four children – Jayden, Alexis, Zoe and Myles – and is married to Michele Davis-Ishmael.

“Dr. Ishmael is not just a terrific health care leader, he is a wonderful human being who I greatly respect and admire,” said Dr. Steed. “He and his family will be a great addition to our MetroHealth family and the Cleveland community.”