Dr. McConnell, Dr. Klein named to top positions

Urologists John D. McConnell, MD, and Eric A. Klein, MD, have been appointed to new posts at Wake Forest and Cleveland Clinic, respectively.

Dr. McConnell will become the first chief executive officer of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, effective Nov. 1. As CEO, he will oversee the clinical, research, and academic enterprise of the recently restructured medical center, and will report to its board of directors.

Dr. McConnell has been executive vice president of health system affairs at University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, since 2003. In that position, he has had overall responsibility for UT Southwestern’s university hospitals and clinics as well as the faculty physician practice.

Since joining the UT Southwestern faculty in 1984, Dr. McConnell has held a number of clinical as well as administrative posts at UT Southwestern, including urology department chair, prostate disease center director, vice president for clinical programs, and executive vice president for administration.

Dr. Klein has been named vice-chairman of the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute at Cleveland Clinic. In his new role, Dr. Klein, a 19-year Clinic veteran, will work with Chairman Andrew C. Novick, MD, to further expand the institute’s reputation for medical and surgical advancements while fostering an environment of collaboration between and among departments, according to a Clinic statement.

In addition to his role as vice-chairman, Dr. Klein also has been named director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research within the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute. This role complements Dr. Klein’s national and international leadership in the biology and management of prostate cancer.

His clinical area of interest is urologic oncology, including cancers of the prostate, bladder, testis, and kidney.