The Guthrie Clinic Appoints Edmund Sabanegh, Jr., M.D., M.B.A., as President and Chief Executive Officer

The Board of Directors of The Guthrie Clinic today announced that they unanimously approved the appointment of Edmund Sabanegh, Jr., M.D., M.B.A., as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 13, 2021. 

Dr. Sabanegh (pronounced sah-BAHN-nie) joins Guthrie from the Cleveland Clinic where, among other roles, he served as President, Cleveland Clinic Main Campus and Regional Hospitals. He brings nearly 30 years of physician executive experience in large practice healthcare and academic systems to Guthrie, with a proven track record of enterprise and physician leadership driving the highest levels of quality care. Dr. Sabanegh will succeed Dr. Joseph Scopelliti, President and CEO since 2012. 

“It is a privilege to be selected as The Guthrie Clinic’s next President and CEO. Guthrie has a rich, 110-year history of high quality patient-centered care,” said Dr. Sabanegh. “Through the leadership of Dr. Scopelliti and the Board of Directors, Guthrie’s integrated healthcare system is a model for serving local communities while maintaining a strong focus on clinical excellence. I am honored to join the remarkable people who drive the service focus and innovative spirit that defines the Guthrie system today. My goal as Guthrie’s next leader will be to accelerate healthcare transformation across the system while embracing and leveraging its outstanding legacy of patient care and community service.”

Dr. Sabanegh’s strong leadership background and his commitment to improving patient care uniquely equips him for his new role as the President and CEO of Guthrie. He comes to Guthrie after more than a decade of proven leadership at the Cleveland Clinic, where, as President of the health system’s Main Campus and Regional Hospitals, he led a team of more than 12,000 clinical caregivers. Dr. Sabanegh expanded clinical services for   patients and achieved the highest caregiver engagement in the organization’s history. His leadership of the system was nationally recognized for value performance and during his tenure Dr. Sabanegh also helped with the successful acquisition and integration of new hospital systems. He worked across the enterprise to improve safety, quality and patient experience to among the highest levels in the nation. 

A strategic, innovative leader, Dr. Sabanegh’s experience also includes 21 years of service in the United States Air Force where he held several executive roles, including Chief of Medical Staff, chief consultant for the Surgeon General, and Chief Operating Officer at the largest Air Force hospital in the world. 

Dr. Sabanegh is board certified by the American Board of Urology and has maintained an active clinical practice. His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from Princeton University in Engineering, a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Sabanegh completed his Urologic Surgery Residency at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center and his Microsurgery Fellowship at Cleveland Clinic.

The Board of Directors were committed to finding Guthrie’s next CEO and working with Dr. Scopelliti to ensure a smooth, well-planned transition. Through the establishment of a search committee chaired by Johanna Ames, a thorough national search was conducted in partnership with global executive search firm WittKieffer. 

“From the beginning, our goal was to lead a robust, thorough and transparent process that included broad participation from physician, administrative and community stakeholders throughout Guthrie,” said Ms. Ames. “While the degree of inclusiveness was somewhat untraditional, the insight we gained confirmed our approach. Our recommendation to appoint Dr. Sabanegh to the position of President and CEO is based on his strong leadership, proven track record of performance, strategic vision and unwavering focus on clinical excellence.”

Dr. Sabanegh’s vision for Guthrie maintains the system’s laser focus on exceptional patient care while enabling healthcare transformation involving value-based care, technologic innovation to improve patient access and care quality, and the affordability of patient care. He will seek top tier outcomes around quality, safety and the patient experience, as well as financial performance and growth. He will also work to raise awareness of Guthrie as an employment destination and will leverage the system’s growing teaching platform to attract and retain top healthcare talent.

“We are tremendously grateful for the years of leadership provided by Dr. Scopelliti,” said Ken Levitzky, Chair of Guthrie’s Board of Directors. “Dr. Sabanegh was selected to be the next CEO in part because we believe he can build upon Dr. Scopelliti’s incredible legacy of delivering superior patient care. We look to the future of Guthrie under Dr. Sabanegh’s stewardship with excitement as we continue to strengthen our culture of trust and collaboration with the patient at the center of every decision.”