W. Scott Butsch, MD, MSc
Specialty in Diseases & Conditions
- Metabolic Complications of Obesity
- Metabolic Syndrome
Insurance
Is Cleveland Clinic Part of Your Insurance?
Review a list of accepted insurance plans for our Northeast Ohio locations or learn more about purchasing a contracted managed care plan.
View All PlansAbout W. Scott Butsch, MD, MSc
Dr. Butsch is the Director of Obesity Medicine in the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. He is a former Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and worked at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Weight Center from 2007-2017. He completed a clinical nutrition fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and was the first physician in the U.S. to complete subspecialty fellowship in obesity medicine, first established at the HMS/MGH in 2007. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and a Fellow of The Obesity Society.
Dr. Butsch‘s clinical interests focus in the pharmacological management of obesity and the use of combination pharmacological therapies in bariatric surgical patients and special populations with severe obesity. He is an author of numerous chapters and manuscripts and lectures nationally and internationally on many topics in obesity and clinical nutrition.
His academic interests primarily focus on obesity education. He was selected to be the Curtis Prout Fellow in Medical Education at HMS in 2010 and was the Director of Education in the division of Nutrition at HMS from 2014-2018. Dr. Butsch is a national leader in both obesity and nutrition education and his passion for teaching can be seen in the numerous educational programs he has created, the several professional committees on which he serves and chairs, and the Harvard CME Blackburn course in obesity medicine and the Cleveland Clinic’s Obesity Summit which he co-directs.
In line with his passion for the education and treatment of obesity, Dr. Butsch is a strong advocate for his patients. As the Chair of the Committee on Nutrition and Physical Activity in the Massachusetts Medical Society and the Chair of the Advocacy Committee in The Obesity Society, Dr. Butsch actively participates at both the state and federal levels to reduce weight stigma and discrimination and improve coverage and reimbursement for the treatment of obesity. He hopes to be engaged in a similar fashion in the State of Ohio.
Education & Professional Highlights
Appointed
2018
Education & Fellowships
Fellowship - Massachusetts General Hospital
Obesity Medicine & Nutrition
Boston,
MA
2008
Fellowship - University of Alabama
Clinical Nutrition
Birmingham,
AL
2007
Residency - State University of New York
Chief Resident
Buffalo,
NY
2005
Residency - State University of New York
Medicine
Buffalo,
NY
2004
Medical Education - University of Buffalo
Buffalo,
NY
2001
Graduate School - State University of New York
Natural Science - Interdisciplinary
Buffalo,
NY
1996
Research & Publications
See publications for W. Scott Butsch, MD, MSc.
(Disclaimer: This search is powered by PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed is a third-party website with no affiliation with Cleveland Clinic.)
Industry Relationships
Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical expertise or education. Cleveland Clinic strives to make scientific advances that will benefit patient care and support outside relationships that promise public benefit. In order for the discoveries of Cleveland Clinic physicians' and scientists' laboratories and investigations to benefit the public, these discoveries must be commercialized in partnership with industry. As experts in their fields, Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists are often sought after by industry to consult, provide expertise and education.
To assure professional and commercial integrity in such matters, Cleveland Clinic maintains a program that reviews these collaborations and, when appropriate, puts measures in place to minimize bias that may result from ties to industry. Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses the names of companies when (i) its physicians/scientists receive $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) for speaking and consulting, (ii) its physicians/scientists serve as a fiduciary, (iii) its physicians/scientists receive or have the right to receive royalties or (iv) its physicians/ scientists hold any equity interest for the physician's/scientist's role as inventor, discoverer, developer, founder or consultant.* In publicly disclosing this information, Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its physicians' and scientists' connections with industry.
As of 1/7/2025, Dr. Butsch has reported the financial relationships with the companies listed below. In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.
Consulting and/or Speaking. Dr. Butsch receives fees of $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) as a paid consultant, speaker or as a member of an advisory committee for the following companies:
- Boehringer Ingelheim
Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.
* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.
119 Patient Satisfaction Reviews
The Patient Satisfaction Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown below from our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question.
Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.
The comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cleveland Clinic.
| Overall | Star Ratings | |
|---|---|---|
| Explains | 4.9 | |
| Courtesy, Respect & Concern | 4.9 | |
| Patient Rating of Doctor | 4.9 |
16 Patient Comments
© 2025 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be altered, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, by photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Cleveland Clinic.
Reviewed on Apr 30, 2025
Utmost patient respect from a physician who listens, hears, and genuinely seems to care about his patients. An enigma in today's healthcare circle.
Reviewed on Apr 21, 2025
Dr Butsch is phenomenal and very responsive and effective
Reviewed on Apr 1, 2025
My care provider was very kind and compassionate. He listened to my concerns, explained in detail what treatment was and how it would work and he was a no hurry to get me out of the office. He took his time and listen to all my questions. I am extremely pleased with the service I received at the Cleveland Clinic.
Reviewed on Mar 12, 2025
my doctor is absolutely amazing. He truly cares about his patience.
Reviewed on Mar 4, 2025
Dr. Butch and his staff were amazing, and he took the time needed to go over everything and make the additional referrals
Reviewed on Feb 26, 2025
Dr. Butsch is wonderful!
Reviewed on Feb 26, 2025
Excellent bed side manner of the doctors at the bariatric institute...they treat you like a human.
Reviewed on Dec 17, 2024
Incredible doctor! He took his time with me and explained everything very well!
Reviewed on Nov 11, 2024
Dr. Butsch has been very sensitive to my issues and concerns, far more than I expected.
Reviewed on Oct 11, 2024
Dr. Butsch was excellent. He listened to my concerns and involved me in the decision-making process. He is very knowledgeable and kind, has an excellent bedside manner. He truly cared about what is going on with my health and asked a lot of questions. He was thorough and read through my chart.
Reviewed on Oct 11, 2024
Everyone in the department was very nice. I look forward to how Dr. Butsch will be helping me on my health journey.
Reviewed on Sep 20, 2024
Dr.& Assistant were top notch. Came out of my appointment very hopeful to treat my problems. He wanted several tests done and give me reasons why he wanted them done.
Reviewed on Aug 28, 2024
Dr. Butsch very courteous, friendly and knowledgeable of my needs
Reviewed on Aug 12, 2024
Dr. B is always booked because he's a great doctor.
Reviewed on Jun 28, 2024
Had to wait five months to see the doctor but worth the wait!
Reviewed on May 21, 2024
Dr. Butsch has excellent bedside manner. I never felt rushed and he spent a lot more time with me than most other doctors. He also called me by my name which I very much appreciated.