Dr. James Merlino

James Merlino, M.D., is the Chief Experience Officer of the Cleveland Clinic health system, and founder and President of the Association for Patient Experience.   Committed to patient-centered care, he leads initiatives to improve service quality, communication, and employee engagement across the Cleveland Clinic enterprise.  

He believes that all employees are caregivers, regardless of their role, and the guiding principle of ‘Patients First’ requires more than world-class clinical care … it requires care that addresses every aspect of a patient’s encounter, including their physical comfort as well as educational, emotional and spiritual needs.