January 7, 2022 — Khaldoun Tarakji, M.D., M.P.H., associate section head of cardiac electrophysiology at the Heart, Vascular, and Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic, has joined Medtronic as the vice president and chief medical officer (CMO) of the Cardiac Ablation Solutions (CAS) Operating Unit at Medtronic.
Tarakji will provide senior level medical expertise, strategic planning and guidance on evidence development, and objective medical and patient safety oversight to ensure technology and therapy effectiveness throughout the product lifecycle. He assumes the role previously held by Rob Kowal, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer.
“I am excited to be joining this organization at such a critical juncture in healthcare technology. Never before have we seen such an emphasis on novel technologies to drive improved patient outcomes for arrhythmias,” Tarakji said. “This Medtronic team of engineers and clinical leaders are innovating technologies that are truly advancing care for those suffering from the crippling effects of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, and I’m excited to support the delivery and access of those therapies. I am also incredibly grateful to the physician and nurse partners of whom I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside during my tenure at Cleveland Clinic, and I look forward to collaborating together again in the future. Most importantly, I am forever grateful to all the patients who entrusted me with their most precious asset, and I hope I continue to serve them on a wider scale in my new role.”
With more than a decade-long career as a cardiac electrophysiologist (EP) at Cleveland Clinic, Tarakji is also a leader in digital health, helping to pioneer cardiovascular patient care via smart device, including remote patient monitoring. He is the founder of the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute Center for Digital Health Technologies and leads a multidisciplinary team of medical experts in exploring and evaluating the potential impact of personal, digital technology to clinical practice. Tarakji holds the roles of associate professor of medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Case Western University and director of the Center for International Medical Education at Cleveland Clinic.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Tarakji to Medtronic,” said Rebecca Seidel, president of the cardiac ablation solutions business, which is part of the cardiovascular portfolio at Medtronic. “Dr. Tarakji is a world-class physician and thought leader in the advanced treatment of atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias. He’s a long-time advisor and clinical investigator for Medtronic and we are honored that he will be working with us to provide advanced cardiac mapping and ablation solutions for arrhythmia management.”
Watch a recent interview with Dr. Tarakji in the VIDEO: Antibacterial Envelope for EP Devices Reduced Infections in Patients With Hemotomas by 82 Percent.
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