Chad R. Ritch, MD, Named Chair of Urology for Cleveland Clinic in Florida

Chad R. Ritch, MD, MBA, FACS, has been appointed Chair of the Division of Urology for the Cleveland Clinic Florida Market. A nationally recognized urologic oncologist, Dr. Ritch brings a career-long commitment to advancing clinical care, research, and education, with deep expertise in bladder, prostate, and kidney cancer and a particular focus on robotic-assisted surgery.

A career shaped by purpose and perspective

Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Dr. Ritch moved to the United States for his undergraduate studies at Duke University and continued through medical school, residency, and fellowship while maintaining close family ties to Jamaica. He earned both his medical degree and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, completed a urology residency at Columbia University in New York City, and pursued a urologic oncology fellowship at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. Ritch’s decision to specialize in urologic oncology was inspired early in his training by the high prostate cancer mortality rate in Jamaica. “Jamaica has one of the highest rates of prostate cancer in the world, and it's the number one cause of male cancer-related death in the country,” he explains.

Those realities have fueled a sustained commitment to improving outcomes – particularly among men of African descent – and shaped a career focused on addressing racial disparities in cancer care.

Division priorities and strategic vision

As Division Chair for Urology at Cleveland Clinic in Florida, Dr. Ritch will focus on three core initiatives: physician recruitment, research infrastructure, and surgical innovation. “My first goal is to recruit top talent to meet the growing demand for urology services across the region, from Weston to the Treasure Coast,” he says.

His second goal centers on building a collaborative research and innovation core for urology that aligns with ongoing efforts in Ohio. “It’s important that we have a unified research environment across our three Florida markets,” he states.

The third initiative is the incorporation of advanced surgical technologies. Dr. Ritch plans to introduce single-port (SP) robotic surgery and expand access to technology-dependent treatments, including aquablation for benign prostatic hyperplasia and focal therapies for prostate cancer, which are currently available only at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital within the Florida regional health system.

Leadership in robotic surgery and training

Dr. Ritch is widely recognized for his pioneering use of the da Vinci SP system in South Florida during his tenure as Professor of Urology and Director of the Urologic Oncology Fellowship Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. As the highest-volume single-port surgeon in Florida, he performs robotic-assisted surgery for kidney, bladder, prostate and penile cancers. “I use a robotic approach in about 80% of my cases,” he notes.

He also looks forward to contributing to the curriculum for Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Urology Residency Program and Urologic Oncology Fellowship Program, stating “I think it is important that we offer a stepwise progression in training for new urologic surgeons in the use of robotic surgery systems.”

National leadership and guideline development

Dr. Ritch’s professional leadership includes service on the original American Urological Association (AUA) expert panel for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) in 2016, where he contributed to national guidelines for risk stratification and treatment. More recently, he participated in the development of new bladder cancer guidelines from the American Society for Radiation Oncology, which are pending publication.

As the Society of Urologic Oncology’s representative to the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, Dr. Ritch is helping develop and align quality standards for urologic cancer care. “I am able to contribute to advancing how we assess and measure quality in urologic oncology, such as outcomes for prostate cancer and bladder cancer surgery,” he says.

In addition, he was selected for the 2025–2026 AUA Leadership Program. Upon completion in May, he will be appointed to an AUA executive committee.

Practice-changing research

A prolific researcher, Dr. Ritch has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and scientific presentations and has served as principal investigator on numerous clinical trials. A major focus of his work has been improving the quality of bladder cancer care.

Recently published work includes the CISTO study, a patient-centered comparison of intravesical bladder-sparing therapy versus radical cystectomy for recurrent high-grade NMIBC. “We compared outcomes and quality of life and found that patients who underwent surgery reported equal or better quality of life than those who retained their bladder, despite expectations to the contrary,” he reports.

Dr. Ritch also collaborated on research demonstrating that compliance with guidelines for intravesical chemotherapy after bladder tumor removal is below 25%, providing evidence for the Commission on Cancer initiating a new quality measure. “Both of these studies have implications for clinical practice and quality measures,” he confirms.

Among the studies Dr. Ritch brings to Cleveland Clinic in Florida is an investigator-initiated trial evaluating genomic biomarkers to assess bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) response in high-risk NMIBC. An immunotherapy for early-stage bladder cancer, BCG is instilled directly into the bladder to treat NMIBC by triggering an immune response against tumors.

Global outreach

Beyond clinical and academic leadership, Dr. Ritch serves on the executive board of International Volunteers in Urology (IVU), where he focuses on fundraising, mission planning in underserved areas, and organizing resident scholarships. He is currently coordinating IVU’s first mission to Jamaica. “This will also be my first time participating in a mission,” he says.

As Chair of Urology for Cleveland Clinic in Florida, Dr. Ritch brings a blend of clinical excellence, research leadership, and a clear strategic vision – positioning the division to expand access, advance innovation, and elevate care across the region.