Cleveland Clinic Florida Market’s Chief Medical Operations Officer Publicly Commits to MEDWATCH Awareness—A Rare Step Among U.S. Hospitals
April 19, 2025
Richard Rothman, MD, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital and Chief Medical Operations Officer for the Cleveland Clinic Florida Market, made a public commitment during a well-attended community forum in Indian River County, Vero Beach, Florida, to implement MEDWATCH posters throughout the hospital. This move represents a monumental leap for human rights a significant breakthrough in the fight for informed consent and drug safety, witnessed by local residents.
The forum provided a platform for AbleChild, a nonprofit dedicated to informed consent in mental health, to directly address Dr. Rothman. AbleChild highlighted the hospital’s lack of public drug safety awareness, despite the routine use of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and called for a clear access point for patients to report adverse events directly to the FDA through MEDWATCH.
