David Easthon Selected to Lead Cleveland Clinic Police Department
April 25, 2011
Cleveland Clinic has selected David Easthon, who has dedicated his career to law enforcement for the past 37 years, as its new Chief of Police.
“Dave was selected because of his nationally recognized law enforcement expertise, his focus on service and his understanding of the Clinic’s ‘Patients First’ culture,” said Randy Stephan, Cleveland Clinic’s Chief of Protective Services. “Dave is an outstanding leader, who will engage the officers of the department and ensure the Clinic remains a safe place to both work and heal.”
Chief Easthon has worked for Cleveland Clinic's Police Department since 2005. After serving as a Commander in the department, he assumed a dual role of Commander and Acting Chief in November 2010. Easthon replaces former Chief John Kalavsky, who now serves as the Director of Health System Security for Cleveland Clinic.
Under Kalavsky’s leadership, the Police Department successfully initiated improvements in quality and operations, including modernizing equipment, expanding the department’s training programs and increasing its community outreach. Chief Easthon plans to build on those programs.
“We are going to be service and mission driven,” he said. “Everyone will have a clear idea of what our mission is. It is to provide excellence in policing to patients, visitors, employees and our neighbors.”
In addition, Chief Easthon said the department will expand its utilization of detailed statistics and benchmarks to track the department’s value and accomplishments and to identify challenges.
Prior to joining the Cleveland Clinic Police Department, Chief Easthon served as police chief for Middlefield Village from 1988 to 2005. He also served as a lieutenant with the Geauga County Sheriff’s Department for 14 years. During his career, Chief Easthon has held various positions ranging from jail administrator to Emergency Operations Officer for the Perry Nuclear Power Plant Emergency Response Plan to supervisor of Geauga County’s narcotics unit.
Chief Easthon is a graduate of the 131st session of the FBI National Academy and is a past president of the Ohio Chapter of the academy. He and his wife, Kim, reside in Chardon, and they have three children.
About Cleveland Clinic
Celebrating its 90th anniversary, Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. It was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. About 2,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic Health System includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, nine community hospitals and 15 Family Health Centers in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and opening in 2013, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2010, there were 4 million visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 155,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 100 countries. Visit us at www.clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.
Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide video interviews and B-roll.
Media Contacts
Scott Heasley, 216.444.8853, heasles@ccf.org
Heather Phillips, 216.444.4517, phillih@ccf.org