Mayo Clinic trustees name next chief administrative officer, recognize new named professors

Friday, August 09, 2013—ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees has named Jeff Bolton Mayo Clinic's next vice president, administration and chief administrative officer and recognized two recipients of Mayo Clinic named professorships.

Bolton will begin moving into his new role immediately. He will work closely with Shirley Weis, Mayo Clinic's current CAO, over the next few months. Bolton will formally become CAO on November 15, 2013. Mayo Clinic has a long history of smooth and deliberate leadership transitions from the time of the Mayo brothers to today.

"I have worked closely with Jeff and I am impressed with his commitment to Mayo Clinic and to our patients," says John Noseworthy, M.D., Mayo Clinic president and CEO. "Sometimes we can focus too strongly on financial performance. Jeff is always the first to remind us that, when shared in its entirety, Sister Generose's famous quote 'No money no mission' ends with 'No mission, no need for money' and that we are all here to take care of our patients."

In the CAO position, Bolton will work with Dr. Noseworthy to coordinate overall institutional strategy. He will provide oversight to Mayo Clinic's administrative services. "Jeff brings to this position a strong commitment to our mission and patients, excellent strategic insight, a broad perspective and strong working relationships with leaders at all sites," Dr. Noseworthy says.

Bolton has served as Mayo's chief financial officer since joining the organization in 2002. Bolton has provided strategic leadership to a variety of administrative and business areas, including contracting and payer relations, internal audit, Global Business Solutions and Mayo Clinic Ventures. He is a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors and an internal member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees. Before joining Mayo, Bolton served in a variety of planning and finance roles from 1994 to 2002 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, rising to the rank of vice president for business and planning and CFO. Bolton has master's degrees in business administration and social work from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor of arts from Pennsylvania State University.

Weis will retire from Mayo Clinic at the end of 2013 after 40 years in health care and 18 years at Mayo Clinic. She was recognized as a leader in health care by Modern Healthcare magazine in 2007, as one of the Top 25 Women in Health Care this year and by the National Association of Professional Women as "Woman of the Year" in 2011.

"Shirley has been a wonderful colleague and an excellent administrative partner, and we are grateful for her service, many contributions and strong commitment to our patients and Mayo Clinic," Dr. Noseworthy says.

The board also recognized two new named professorships, the highest academic distinction for faculty members at Mayo Clinic.

William Cliby, M.D., a physician in the Division of Gynecologic Surgery, with a joint appointment to the Department of Surgery, is recognized as the Virgil S. Counseller, M.D., Professor of Surgery. Dolph and Pamela Simons established this professorship to honor Dr. Counseller, Mrs. Simons' father. Dr. Counseller was a Mayo physician who served as head of section in surgery for 30 years and practiced with Drs. Will and Charlie Mayo.

As a researcher, Dr. Cliby focuses on translational and clinical outcomes research on ovarian cancer, including improving surgical quality and the molecular and genetic drivers of ovarian cancer. He is the principal investigator on a National Cancer Institute grant to research a receptor on the surface of ovarian cancer cells that is a potential target of new therapeutics.

Dr. Cliby is a recipient of the Hall of Fame Teacher of the Year Award at Mayo Clinic and a 2011 Mentor Award from theAmerican Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He has mentored more than 25 residents, fellows, and medical students.

Charanjit, "Chet" Rihal, M.D., chair, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, is recognized as the William S. and Ann Atherton Professor of Cardiology Honoring Robert L. Frye, M.D. William and Ann Atherton of Oklahoma established the William S. and Ann Atherton Professorship in Cardiology in honor of Dr. Frye, a cardiologist. Dr. Frye moved cardiac catheterization from the experimental arena to routine use in the hospital and was responsible for numerous important advances in heart, lung, and blood physiology.

As a cardiologist, Dr. Rihal specializes in interventional cardiology with a focus on new device therapies, the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), and structural heart disease. One area of expertise is replacing heart valves by catheterization through the arteries, avoiding chest surgery. Dr. Rihal applies clinical research techniques to answer questions about cardiovascular disease and improve patient safety. For example, each year, hundreds of thousands of X-rays are performed across the country to help detect and treat common cardiovascular conditions, but radiation can be harmful. In 2012, Dr. Rihal and his colleagues found a way to cut overall radiation exposure to these patients by nearly half using simple but effective methods.

The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees, a 31-member group of public representatives and Mayo Clinic physicians and administrators, is responsible for patient care, medical education and research at Mayo Clinic's sites in Rochester; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Phoenix and Scottsdale, Ariz.

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Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit MayoClinic.com.

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