Robert Kay, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Clinic Florida, has announced he will retire, effective June 1.

Dr. Kay, who has served Cleveland Clinic for nearly three decades, will continue working with the Clinic’s Florida operations on a consulting basis throughout the summer. Bernardo Fernandez, M.D., Chairman of the Division of Medicine and Head, Section of Vascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Florida, will become CEO upon Dr. Kay’s retirement.

Dr. Fernandez, an internist who specializes in vascular medicine, joined Cleveland Clinic Florida in May 1991. Born in Havana, Cuba, Dr. Fernandez is a graduate of the Ponce School of Medicine in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He completed his residency at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus in Cleveland, OH.

Dr. Fernandez has published numerous articles on vascular disease and treatment and was a leading investigator for several vascular therapy trials. He is a frequent presenter and lecturer at medical symposiums throughout Florida and the Caribbean and serves as a member of the Editorial Board for the journal Periphery and a Manuscript Reviewer for the Journal of Vascular Medicine and Biology.