Health Care Personnel Update for August 2007
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Aug. 27 appointed Jon De Morales (R) of Templeton as executive director of Atascadero State Hospital.
De Morales previously held the position from 1990 to 2000 and recently served as acting executive director. Senate confirmation is not required for the position, which offers annual compensation of $109,968 (Office of the Governor release, 8/27).
Blue Cross of California on Aug. 15 announced that Jeff Flick has been appointed regional vice president of network management for government products. Flick will oversee relations with health care providers for the insurer's Medicaid managed care and Medicare Advantage networks.
Flick previously served as regional CMS administrator, overseeing Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program in California, Arizona, Hawaii and Nevada (Rauber, San Francisco Business Times, 8/15).
Arlene Chiu has announced her resignation as interim chief scientific officer of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
The resignation takes effect Oct. 31, and Chiu will continue to work with the agency as a consultant through June 2008. Chiu held the position since April and previously served as director of scientific activities at the agency since 2005 (Downing, Sacramento Bee, 8/25).
The Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System on Aug. 20 named Michael Skehan as director. Skehan most recently served as chief administrative officer of Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center in Portland, Ore.
Skehan will be responsible for the hospital as well as diagnostic, treatment, facilities and support services for the hospital's primary care centers and other sites (San Jose Business Journal, 8/20).
The State Compensation Insurance Fund on Aug. 15 appointed Janet Frank as president. Frank previously served as executive vice president of North American field operations for CNA Financial in Chicago.
Frank will replace James Tudor, who was fired by the board in March after an internal audit uncovered questionable business practices and potential conflicts. She will begin the position in October (Chan, Sacramento Bee, 8/16).