Lee E. Ponsky, MD, appointed chair of Department of Urology at UH Cleveland Medical Center and Director of the UH Urology Institute

“After an extensive national search, Dr. Lee Ponsky emerged as the clear choice for this leadership position,” said Daniel I. Simon, MD, President of UH Medical Centers.  “He is a well-respected academic physician with a strong track record of achievement at UH and a clear vision for the future of our Department of Urology and UH Urology Institute.” 

 Lee Ponsky, MD

Dr. Ponsky, who served as interim Chair for the past year, is the Leo and Charlotte Goldberg Chair of Advanced Surgical Therapies, Master Clinician in Urologic Oncology at UH Cleveland Medical Center and Professor of Urology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He also serves as Chief of the Division of Urologic Oncology at UH Cleveland Medical Center and Director of Urologic Oncology and Minimally Invasive Therapies Center, UH Urology Institute. 

Dr. Ponsky’s clinical interests are urologic oncology, particularly kidney and prostate cancer. He also specializes in advanced laparoscopy and robotics. His research has focused on advanced imaging techniques such as MRI for diagnosing and managing prostate cancer, as well as robotic radiosurgery for kidney tumors. Additionally, he is co-principal investigator on an NIH R01 grant.

Dr. Ponsky has received numerous accolades for his medical contributions and for founding MedWish International in 1993, a non-profit organization that saves and improves lives around the world by repurposing usable discarded medical supplies and equipment to provide humanitarian aid in developing countries. He is also a founding member of MedWorks, which provides medical, dental and vision services to uninsured and underinsured individuals.

His recognitions include: U.S. Congressional recognition, Crain’s Forty under 40 in 2008, recipient of the Golden Doc Award from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, and the Rescuer of Humanity Award from Project Love. He has also been recognized by the Manhattan Institute in New York with the Richard Cornuelle Award for Social Entrepreneurship and by Smart Business as the Nonprofit Board Executive of the Year in 2011.

Dr. Ponsky has also been named one of “Cleveland’s Top Doctors” as well as one of the “Best Doctors in America.”