Toby Cosgrove

Dr. Delos Cosgrove, M.D., is a military veteran, cardiac surgeon, and executive whose career spans clinical medicine, healthcare administration, and national policy.

Cosgrove built a career in cardiac medicine. He joined Cleveland Clinic and was later named chairman of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Under his leadership, Cleveland Clinic's heart program was ranked number one in America for 10 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. Cosgrove contributed to the development of minimally invasive valve surgery and performed the first minimally invasive mitral-valve surgery over a worldwide video network. He performed more than 22,000 operations, earned an international reputation in valve repair, and holds 30 patents for medical innovations. Cosgrove has published nearly 450 journal articles, book chapters, one book, and 17 training and continuing medical education films.

Cosgrove served as president and chief executive of Cleveland Clinic. During his tenure, Cleveland Clinic's revenues grew significantly, and the institution was ranked among the top three hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report. He oversaw the expansion of Cleveland Clinic medicine to Abu Dhabi, Toronto, Vienna, Singapore, and Seattle. Cosgrove introduced the phrase "Patients First" as a guiding principle and appointed the first Chief Patient Experience Officer. He also launched wellness initiatives, including banning smoking on all campuses, adopting a policy to not hire smokers, offering employees free memberships to Weight Watchers and gyms, and removing fried foods from cafeterias. His book, "The Cleveland Clinic Way: Lessons in Excellence From One of the World's Leading Healthcare Organizations," established him as a thought leader in healthcare management.

Cosgrove's influence extends beyond Cleveland Clinic. Three presidents of the United States have sought his insights on healthcare issues, and he was offered the position of Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, which he declined. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Cosgrove has received the Cleveland Clinic Master Clinician Award, Innovator of the Year Award, Lerner Humanitarian Award, and is a member of the Cleveland Medical Hall of Fame and Cleveland Business Hall of Fame. He has been named Cleveland Business Executive of the Year, Castle Connolly's National Physician of the Year, and received the Woodrow Wilson Center Award for Public Service and the Harvard Business School Award from HBS Alumni, Cleveland. He was also named a Fortune Businessperson of the Year.

In his role as executive advisor, Cosgrove works with Cleveland Clinic leadership on strategies for national and international growth. He serves as a strategic advisor to Care Centrix, a senior advisor of Innova Health Partners, and a member of the board of directors for Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, American Well, Hims & Hers, and View. Cosgrove has appeared on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, The Charlie Rose Show on PBS, and other national media outlets, providing expertise on healthcare, leadership, and innovation. He has spoken about overcoming dyslexia, a challenge he discovered after completing his formal education, which contributed to his perseverance and work ethic—a story that resonates across industries.

Cosgrove received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and completed clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and Brook General Hospital in London. After one year of surgical residency, he joined the Air Force during the Vietnam War, serving in Da Nang as the leader of a 100-bed Air Force Casualty Staging Flight and assisting in the evacuation of more than 22,000 casualties, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star.