Cardiac surgeon and Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove, MD, may be President-elect Donald Trump's top choice to run the Department of Veterans Affairs, STAT reports.
Here are five things to know:
1. Earlier this week, Dr. Cosgrove met with President-elect Donald Trump in Florida.
2. As a provider and leader, Dr. Cosgrove has maintained that the government should not solve the nation's problems with chronic disease, but rather should be addressed through the private sector.
3. Dr. Cosgrove implemented several initiatives while CEO to maintain employee health. He prohibited smoking on clinic ground and launched a personal wellness program aimed at helping employees lose weight.
4. Beginning his career as a cardiac surgeon in 1975, he has been with Cleveland Clinic for the past 41 years. Since he took over as CEO in 2004, Cleveland Clinic has expanded globally and opened a full-service hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
5. In 2014, Dr. Cosgrove did not take the VA position when President Barack Obama offered it to him. The VA was under scrutiny at the time for quality issues and delays in veterans obtaining care.