Brian Donley

Dr. Brian Donley began his new role as Chief of Staff and Chief of Clinical Enterprise of the Cleveland Clinic on January 1, 2015. Just prior to that, he served as President of the Community Hospitals of the Cleveland Clinic Health System and eighteen Family Health Centers from January 2014 through December 2014. Dr. Donley is also Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Dr. Donley attended the University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate studies, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Michigan. Dr. Donley completed a fellowship in orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery at the Campbell Clinic in Memphis, TN.

He joined Cleveland Clinic’s Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Institute in 1996, serving in various roles over the years, including Vice Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics, Director of the Foot and Ankle Center, Director of the Foot and Ankle Fellowship, and Director of Research and Education for Foot and Ankle Surgery. He is part of a team of orthopaedic consultants for the Cleveland Indians, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the National Hockey League Players’ Association.

Dr. Donley was a member of the development team for the Salto Talaris total ankle prosthesis and performed the first surgery in the world with this ankle implant at Cleveland Clinic in 2006. He owns three patents and presently works on the development of a novel intraosseous minimally invasive implant fixation system for the distal extremities. He has published over 80 scientific articles and has made over 200 presentations regionally, nationally and internationally.

In 2008 Dr. Donley established and chaired the Cleveland Clinic’s Professional Conduct Committee, a role he held until August 2013. He served as President of Lutheran Hospital from January 2012 to October 2013. During his time as President, he led Lutheran Hospital to a Press Ganey Commitment to Excellence Award for Patient Satisfaction. Lutheran Hospital also became ranked as the #3 safest hospital in America by Consumers Report.

During the fall of 2013, Dr. Donley completed an eight-week Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. After returning from business school, Dr. Donley was appointed as Vice President of Cleveland Clinic Community Hospitals and Chief of Regional Hospital Medical Affairs and Quality.