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Melinda L. Estes, M.D., 53, became president and chief executive officer of Fletcher Allen Health Care in October 2003. She is a neurologist and neuropathologist who also has a master's degree in business administration. Prior to joining Fletcher Allen, Dr. Estes spent most of the previous two decades in The Cleveland Clinic health care system, holding a variety of positions of progressive responsibility. From 2001 - 2003, she served as chief executive officer and chair of the board of governors of Cleveland Clinic Florida where she oversaw both Cleveland Clinic Naples and Cleveland Clinic Weston.
Prior to becoming CEO of Cleveland Clinic Florida, Dr. Estes was appointed executive director of business development at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio in October, 2000. She also served as chief medical officer of Cleveland Clinic Florida.
Prior to rejoining The Cleveland Clinic in 2000, Dr. Estes served as executive vice president and chief of staff for the MetroHealth System (MHS) in Cleveland from 1997-2000. In that role, she was responsible for all operational and financial management, strategic planning and hospital management of MHS, a 700+ bed academic medical center with an employee base of 5,000.
Previous to joining MetroHealth, Dr. Estes was associate chief of staff of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation from 1990-1997. In that role, she managed human resource issues for more than 700 group-practice physicians and was directly responsible for career development, performance evaluation and compensation.
In 1990, Dr. Estes became the first woman to be elected to The Cleveland Clinic's Board of Governors, the nine-member executive management group of the Clinic responsible for establishing the future direction of the Clinic through strategic planning, recruitment and fiscal management.
Dr. Estes also has served as head of neuropathology at the Clinic, is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, and her research has resulted in more than 100 scientific papers published.
She received her medical degree from the University of Texas, Galveston in 1978, and completed a neurology residency at the University of Texas, Galveston in 1982. She also was a neuropathology fellow at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation from 1982-1984 and completed special training in pediatric neuropathology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 1984.
Dr. Estes earned her bachelor of science degree from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, and earned an MBA from Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management in 1995.
Dr. Estes is married to Dr. Harold (Holly) Hollingsworth Morris III, a neurologist at Fletcher Allen Health Care. She and her husband enjoy hiking, canoeing and biking and have two daughters. | 