.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} tr.d0 td { background-color: #ccccff; color: black; }
After contemplating careers as a professional baseball player and an FBI special agent, Vincent Riley ended up in the health-care profession. In his new role as chief operating officer at The Iowa Clinic P.C., Riley wants to collaborate and think outside the box as the field changes. Before moving to Greater Des Moines, he worked at The Cleveland Clinic for 16 years in a variety of positions, from marketing to sports and corporate health.

Have you always lived in Iowa?

No, I haven’t. I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio – born and raised.

What brought you to Iowa?

The Iowa Clinic, the opportunity that was presented to me. I spent the last 16 years at The Cleveland Clinic, with a wide scope of experience from corporate financial to marketing to sports and corporate health to orthopedics in the division of surgery. In my recent role, I actually ran our 60 main campus operating rooms. At this point in my career, it is now time to enhance my skill set and learn from a great CEO like Mr. Ed Brown and the leaders at The Iowa Clinic.

What is your first big job as chief operating officer?

Well, our health-care industry as a whole is obviously going through many changes with the presidential election drawing near, with reimbursements continuing to decrease, and the cost of business increasing. We need to think out of the box in where we go with health care. My first initiative is to get to know the managers pretty well and standardize techniques that are going on at The Iowa Clinic. We need to eliminate some of the departmental initiatives and bridge those together as one. With the changes in health care, with the presidential candidates talking about universal coverage, there will be more of an emphasis on the cost side of our business. You hear a lot about lean management in our industry. We need to be lean, yet continue to be more efficient to make it better for our patients.

How did you get into the health-care industry?

I am a very goal-oriented individual and I thought one of two things would happen in my life. I thought that I would be involved in sports somehow. And actually, that has been true because I ran our corporate sports program at The Cleveland Clinic, and I got to do a lot of neat things. I presented to the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic Committee at the Olympics in Salt Lake City. But I did not hit my ultimate goal of being a major league pitcher, even though I am left-handed. My second goal, career wise, was to go into the FBI. I went through the process when I graduated from college (Baldwin-Wallace College) and the one thing that I did not pass was the eye test. I actually had my bags packed, on my way to Quantico, Va., for training as a special agent. Then I was coaching a baseball team when I ran across a friend who was in the health-care arena and introduced me to some individuals at The Cleveland Clinic.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I have been married for 11 years. My wife is Maureen, and we have four children, a daughter who is 10, a son who is 7 and twin girls who are 2. It is very challenging yet we have been very blessed. I enjoy spending time with them. In the spare time that I get, I try to help out or coach my daughter and son’s teams. They are very active in sports. My daughter is in gymnastics; she plays baseball and basketball. My son pays football, baseball and basketball. One other thing we really enjoy doing is, my wife and I, once the twins were born, we decided to set up a date night. We ordered takeout from a local Italian restaurant called Fratello’s. Our goal is to find a Fratello’s in the Des Moines area.

What is your first impression of Des Moines?

I think it is a vibrant city. I see nothing but continued growth. And I am looking forward to bringing my family here.