California Health Care Personnel News Roundup for March 2015
Beverly Hospital, Montebello
Alice Cheng has been appointed president and CEO of Beverly Hospital.
Cheng has served as interim CEO for the past year (Beverly Hospital release, 3/18).
Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California has hired Kathleen Billingsley as vice president of its CalPERS and University of California accounts.
Billingsley previously was an official with CalPERS and the state Department of Public Health (Kasler, Sacramento Bee, 3/6).
California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation
On March 25, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) made two appointments to the California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation:
- Christine Bouma (D); and
- Sean McNally.
The positions do not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $100 per diem (Office of the Governor release, 3/25).
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
On March 9, Brown made two appointments to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Scott Kernan (R) was appointed undersecretary of operations. Compensation is $165,000 annually.
Russell Nichols (R) was appointed director of the division of enterprise information services. Compensation is $127,740 annually.
Both positions require senate confirmation (Office of the Governor release, 3/9).
California Department of Health Care Services
Toby Douglas has been hired as a senior strategic adviser at Sellers Dorsey, a Medicaid consulting firm based in Philadelphia.
Douglas previously served as director of the California Department of Health Care Services, which oversees California's Medicaid program (Rubenfire, Modern Healthcare, 3/11).
California Physician Assistant Board
On March 9, Brown reappointed Robert Sachs (D) to the California Physician Assistant Board. Sachs has served on the board since 2011.
The position does not require senate confirmation, and compensation is $100 per diem (Office of the Governor release, 3/9).
California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board
On March 5, Brown appointed Deane Manning (R) to the California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board.
The position does not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $100 per diem (Office of the Governor release, 3/5).
California State Council on Developmental Disabilities
On March 18, Brown made two appointments to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities:
- Sandra Aldana (D); and
- Jay Lytton (D).
The positions do not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $100 per diem (Office of the Governor release, 3/18).
California State Optometry Board
On April 2, Brown appointed Lillian Wang (R) to the California State Optometry Board.
The position does not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $100 per diem (Office of the Governor release, 4/2).
The Children's Partnership
On March 4, The Children's Partnership -- which has offices in Sacramento, Santa Monica and Washington, D.C. -- announced that Kathy Dresslar will become head of the organization's Sacramento governmental affairs program.
Dresslar previously served as chief of staff to former California Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento).
Dresslar replaces Kathleen Hamilton, who is retiring (The Children's Partnership release, 3/4).
Delta Dental
On March 13, Gary Radine, president and CEO of San Francisco-based Delta Dental, announced that he will retire at the end of the year.
COO Anthony Barth will replace Radine (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 3/13).
Health Plan of San Mateo
Margaret Beed has been appointed CMO of the Health Plan of San Mateo, effective April 6.
The Health Plan of San Mateo is the community's health plan for publicly funded health programs, including Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program.
Beed formerly was the delivery system medical director for Blue Shield of California (San Mateo Daily Journal, 4/1).
Marin County Department of Health and Human Services
At the end of March, Marin County Department of Health and Human Services Director Larry Meredith retired after more than 13 years in the position.
The agency has not indicated who will take over the position (Halstead, Marin Independent Journal, 3/14).
Medical Board of California
On March 2, Brown made two appointments to the Medical Board of California:
- Michelle Bholat (D); and
- Randy Hawkins (D).
The positions require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $100 per diem (Office of the Governor release, 3/2).
National Health Law Program
Former U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has joined the board of directors for the National Health Law Program. The program aims to protect and advance health care rights of low-income and underserved individuals and families.
Waxman currently serves as chair of Waxman Strategies, where he advises clients on public policy. Waxman also is a regent lecturer at UCLA and an adviser at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (National Health Law Program release, 4/1).
The Permanente Federation
Bill Marsh has joined The Permanente Federation as associate executive director of government relations and care delivery information technology.
Marsh previously has served as associate medical director of market and member experience at the Colorado Permanente Medical Group (Kaiser Permanente release, 3/19).
Tri-City Medical Center, Oceanside
Kirkpatrick Conley took over as COO at Tri-City Medical Center, effective April 1.
Conley previously was CEO of Fallbrook Hospital in northern San Diego County (Tri-City Medical Center release, 4/1).
UC-San Diego Health Sciences
Mark Harrison has been appointed CFO of UC-San Diego Health Sciences.
Harrison's responsibilities will include ensuring effective funding flows between UC-San Diego's School of Medicine and UC-San Diego Health System, standardizing reporting between the organizations (UC-San Diego release, 3/23).
University of Southern California
Michael Quick, a neuroscientist, has been named provost of the University of Southern California.
Quick previously served as executive vice provost and vice president for academic affairs at USC (Gordon, Los Angeles Times, 3/30).
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
On March 30, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that Steve Young will serve as acting director of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, effective April 6, until a permanent director is selected.
Young previously was acting director of the Phoenix VA Health Care System (VA release, 3/30).
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