California Health Care Personnel News Roundup for January 2015
Amarillo Veterans Affairs Health Care System
On Jan. 18, Walt Dannenberg took over as Amarillo Veterans Affairs Health Care System's interim director.
Dannenberg is expected to be in the position for four months as the system looks for a permanent director (Bryant, Amarillo Globe News , 1/6).
California Association of Health Plans
The California Association of Health Plans announced the promotions of:
- Athena Chapman, who currently leads the organization's Medi-Cal unit, to director of state programs; and
- Nicholas Louizos, current director of legislative affairs at the organization, to vice president of legislative affairs.
Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 1/14).
California Commission on Emergency Medical Services
On Jan. 12, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) made several re-appointments to the state Commission on Emergency Medical Services:
- Linda Broyles (R), who has been on the board since 2013;
- Mark Hartwig (R), who has been on the board since 2012; and
- Dave Teter (D), who has been on the board since 2010.
The positions do not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation (Office of the Governor release, 1/12).
California Department of Health and Human Services
On Jan. 26, Brown named Jennifer Kent as the director of the state Department of Health Care Services (California HHS statement, 1/26).
Kent replaces Toby Douglas, who announced he would leave the position in September 2014 (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 1/27).
California HealthCare Foundation
On Jan. 15, the California HealthCare Foundation announced that Nicholas Augustinos was elected to its board of directors. CHCF publishes California Healthline.
Augustinos, who currently serves as the senior vice president of health information services and strategy at Cardinal Health, will join the board in March (CHCF release, 1/15).
California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission
On Jan. 16, Brown re-appointed John Boyd (D) and Bill Brown (R) to the state Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission.
The positions do not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation (Office of the Governor release, 1/16).
California Physician Assistant Board
On Jan. 8, Brown re-appointed Jed Grant (R) and Xavier Martinez (D) to the state Physician Assistant Board.
The positions do not require Senate confirmation and compensation is $100 per diem (Office of the Governor release, 1/8).
California State Council on Developmental Disabilities
On Jan. 15, Brown made several re-appointments to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities:
- Nancy Clyde (D), who has been on the council since 2013;
- Rebecca Donabed (R), who has been on the council since 2012;
- Max Duley (D), who has been on the council since 2013;
- Janelle Lewis, who has been on the council since 2012; and
- Ning Yang (D), who has been on the council since 2013.
The positions do not require Senate confirmation and compensation is $100 per diem (Office of the Governor release, 1/12).
CalPERS
On Jan. 20, the CalPERS board re-elected Rob Feckner to an 11th term as the board's president.
Feckner has served on the board since 1999.
The board also elected Henry Jones, former CFO of the Los Angeles Unified School District, as vice president (Lifsher, Los Angeles Times, 1/20).
Dignity Health
Dignity Health has hired Todd Strumwasser as senior vice president of operations for its Bay Area Service Area.
Strumwasser, who most recently served as CEO of two hospitals in the Seattle-based Swedish Health Services system, will take up the position on Feb. 1 (Rauber, "Bay Area BizTalk," San Francisco Business Times, 1/8).
Marrone Bio Innovations
Marrone Bio Innovations has hired James Iademarco as its new president and COO.
Iademarco, who most recently founded and directed consulting firm Strategic Avalanche, will receive a base salary of $290,000 (Glover, Sacramento Bee, 1/14).
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Foundation
The San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Foundation has named Robin Calder as its new executive director.
Calder has served on the foundation's board and previously served as the board's president (Schiavone, Banning-Beaumont Patch, 1/12).
Stanford Health Care
Stanford Health Care has announced that Tom Williams will be joining the organization to lead its efforts to develop health plans and accountable care organizations.
Williams has served as president and CEO of Integrated Healthcare Association since 2004 (Rauber, "Bay Area BizTalk," San Francisco Business Times, 1/7).
UCLA Health System
UCLA Health System CEO Eugene Washington will leave the position to join the Duke University Health System as its president and CEO on April 1.
Washington also will serve as the Duke's chancellor for health affairs (Modern Healthcare, 1/17).
UC-Irvine Medical Center
On Jan. 14, UC-Irvine Medical Center CEO Terry Belmont announced he will retire on June 30.
UC-Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman said he will form a search committee to find a successor for the position (Fisher, Orange County Register, 1/15).
UC-San Francisco Institute for Computational Health Sciences
UC-San Francisco has named Atul Butte the director of the university's new Institute for Computational Health Sciences, as well as the executive director of clinical informatics for UC Health Sciences and Services.
Butte currently serves as the chief of Stanford University's medicine division.
He will take over the UCSF position in April (Modern Healthcare, 1/24).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.