AMEC Opening Session and Award Ceremony

Dan Simon is Chief Clinical & Scientific Officer for the University Hospitals Health System (UH) and the President of UH Cleveland Medical Center. He is also a Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, affiliated with UH.

UH serves the needs of over 1.2 million patients through an integrated network of 18 hospitals, over 50 health centers and outpatient facilities and more than
200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio.

As Chief Clinical & Scientific Officer, Dr. Simon leads UHÕs 14 clinical care delivery institutes and manages all UH clinical department chairs. He is also charged with shaping a new approach to UHÕs academic mission in a changing and challenging environment for academic medical centers nationally. Additionally, Dr. Simon oversees the regionÕs only freestanding cancer hospital: UH Seidman Cancer Center; the internationally renowned UH Rainbow Babies & ChildrenÕs Hospital; and Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals — part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development.

As President of UH Cleveland Medical Center, Dr. Simon is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating clinical and safety standards and practice for the academic medical center. Additionally, he provides oversight for the full spectrum of research activities spanning basic/translational research to clinical and population research as well as graduate medical education, continuing medical education, undergraduate medical education, and community education.

Dr. Simon joined UH in 2006 as Division Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at UH Cleveland Medical Center and as Director of the UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute. In 2016, he was promoted to President of UH Cleveland Medical Center and in 2018, he became Chief Academic Officer for the entire health system and assumed leadership for all UH community hospitals. Dr. Simon is an active interventional cardiologist and continues to play a leading role in national and international clinical trials investigating new devices, antithrombotic drugs, and regenerative medicine therapies.

Prior to UH, Dr. Simon served as Associate Director of Interventional Cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and was an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

A recipient of numerous research awards, Dr. Simon was elected into the American Society for Clinical Investigation, Association of University Cardiologists, and the Association of American Physicians. He is a recipient of the prestigious MERIT Award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the 2016 Distinguished Scientist Award from the American College of Cardiology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventions.

He has published extensively in peer-reviewed basic science and clinical journals. Dr. Simon has served on the Editorial Boards of Circulation and Journal American College Cardiology and was recently appointed to the Editorial Board of JAMA Cardiology.

He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College. After earning his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, he completed his internal medicine residency and cardiovascular medicine fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and interventional cardiology training at Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Simon is the Co-Founder of Sujana Biotech, a start-up biotechnology company developing novel monoclonal antibodies for a range of inflammatory and vascular disorders. The company’s lead product is in the early preclinical phase of development.

Dr. Simon serves on the Board of Directors of Playhouse Square and University Circle Inc.

Dr. Suleiman is an assistant professor in the department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She specializes in hip and knee arthroplasty and also serves as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Office of Graduate Medical Education. She earned her undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology and Neurobiology from the University of Maryland. Dr. Suleiman graduated from Howard University College of Medicine where she served as the National Treasurer for the Student National Medical Association from 2011-2012. She went on to complete her orthopaedic surgery residency at Northwestern University. During her time there, she developed her interest for advocacy and diversity and inclusion in graduate medical education. After completing her joint replacement fellowship at Rush she returned to Northwestern as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion and a practicing orthopaedic surgeon.

Ann-Gel S. Palermo is the Chief Program Officer of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) of the Mount Sinai Health System and the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in Biomedical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Palermo has developed a career portfolio that reflects the intersection among diversity affairs, medical education, and community-based public health practice and research. Dr. Palermo’s work aims to foster a holistic and equitable medical education experience and developing and delivering an innovative portfolio of programming and initiatives that aims to foster a diverse and inclusive learning and work environment in the School of Medicine and in the health system. Dr. Palermo earned her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and a Doctorate of Public Health at the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy

Nanette Lacuesta, MD graduated from University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed training in Family Medicine at The Ohio State University where she served as the Chief Resident. She is now the OhioHealth System Program Director of Physician Diversity Initiatives, and the Physician Diversity Scholars Program director. Dr. Lacuesta is also Community Assistant Dean for Education at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She is an Associate Program Director for Riverside Methodist Hospital FM Residency. She is a 2-time awardee of both Central Ohio FM Teacher of the Year by Ohio University Heritage College of Medicine and Riverside FM Teacher of the Year. She is a member of the Parker J Palmer Courage to Teach program and received the Distinguished Educator Award and AOA Gamma Chapter Volunteer Teacher of the Year at The OSUCOM. She was recognized as a Columbus Business First 40 Under 40 and Diversity in Business honoree in 2017. Dr. Lacuesta has expertise in various domains of professional development, including leadership training, implicit bias mitigation, and communication skills.