GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — University of Michigan Health-West has named a new chief medical officer. Dr. Clifford Cho was appointed CMO of University of Michigan Health-West in May 2024. He has an extensive history with UM Health-West and is excited to combine the medical, scientific and research efforts of Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids to serve our community’s health needs.
Cho is renowned for his expertise in pancreas and hepatobiliary surgery and has 20 years of experience in this field. He served as vice chair of surgical oncology and clinical care chief of cancer surgery at Michigan Medicine. He was educated at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, completed residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and had a fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Cho believes that West Michigan is an environment ripe for new advances in treatment and care due to the presence of Van Andel Institute and that his research at the Van Andel Institute on cancer immunology and immunotherapy could become a valuable asset to the community. He believes one of his roles as CMO is to bring all the resources available together to produce better patient outcomes.
Grand Rapids and West Michigan have been on the radar as a possible destination for Cho and his family for many years. His wife has numerous family ties to the region and his acceptance of this new position makes him and his family very excited about the future.
Cho’s most prominent work is in the field of histotripsy, a procedure he and his team have been studying for a long time and are hopeful they’re on the verge of a breakthrough in cancer treatment. Histotripsy is a technique that uses high-energy ultrasound pulses to break apart cancer cells. His research on histotripsy is promising and may change how we treat cancer in the future.
Cho’s appointment as CMO and his desire to treat patients with cutting-edge care exemplify how the University of Michigan Health West is Connecting with Community.
