What happens when one of the most powerful hospital CEOs in the world decides to stand up for prevention and nutrition? In this episode of The BeingBrigid Show, Brigid sits down with Dr. Toby Cosgrove, the former CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, to discuss how he reshaped healthcare by prioritizing prevention, lifestyle, and functional medicine.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why Dr. Cosgrove banned smoking and soda from Cleveland Clinic campuses
The backlash (and eventual success) of these groundbreaking health initiatives
How nutrition, obesity, and chronic disease are linked
The pivotal role of functional medicine in the future of care
How AI could change the practice of medicine and patient outcomes
Timestamps
04:41 – Dr. Cosgrove’s vision: shifting from “sickness” to “health” care
06:39 – Banning smoking at the Cleveland Clinic & backlash
10:38 – Removing soda and McDonald’s from hospital cafeterias
11:52 – The politics of sugar and its parallels to tobacco
26:35 – Bringing nutrition into medical education
33:11 – Founding the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine
38:54 – Why doctors resist change & the potential of AI in healthcare
43:06 – The future role of dietitians, health coaches & food prescriptions
Breaking Traditions: Banning Smoking & Soda
As a cardiac surgeon, Dr. Cosgrove had seen firsthand the devastating effects of smoking. When he became CEO, he banned smoking on Cleveland Clinic campuses and later stopped hiring smokers altogether—an unprecedented move that drew national attention and backlash but ultimately reduced employee smoking rates dramatically. He also removed soda and junk food from cafeterias and vending machines, taking a bold stand for nutrition in a healthcare system that often ignores it.
Nutrition, Policy, and the Sugar Debate
Dr. Cosgrove explains how obesity, diabetes, and chronic inflammation are now some of the greatest threats to public health. He advocates for shifting food policies, tackling sugar subsidies, and acknowledging the role of diet in driving preventable disease. His perspective highlights why women’s health, hormone health, and root-cause nutrition interventions are critical to transforming care.
Functional Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic
In 2014, Dr. Cosgrove partnered with Dr. Mark Hyman to launch the world’s first hospital-based Center for Functional Medicine. Despite massive resistance from traditional physicians, patients voted with their feet—leading to thousands on waiting lists and countless success stories reversing chronic disease. This decision positioned functional nutrition and personalized nutrition coaching as essential tools for healthcare’s future.
The Future of Medicine: AI, Coaching & Food as Medicine
Looking ahead, Dr. Cosgrove sees AI reshaping healthcare—reducing physician burnout, making the latest research accessible instantly, and expanding global access to medical knowledge. He also emphasizes the growing role of dietitians, health coaches, and food prescriptions as we move toward value-based care. The future of healthcare, he believes, will be about accountability, consistency, and empowering patients through holistic nutrition and lifestyle medicine.
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