Latino to run Valley Presbyterian Hospital

Valley Presbyterian Hospital Appoints New President and Chief Executive Officer
Business Wire, August 18, 2009

VAN NUYS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Valley Presbyterian Hospital (VPH) is pleased to announce the appointment of Gustavo Valdespino as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1. Mr. Valdespino will succeed Albert L. Greene, who passed away in April 2009.

“Mr. Valdespino was chosen unanimously by a search committee through an intense and rigorous interview and selection process. He was judged to be bright, creative, passionate and charismatic with extraordinary people skills and a history of strong relations with both physicians and hospital staff,” said David Fleming, Chairman of the VPH Board of Directors. “The search committee selected an outstanding leader to carry on the mission and vision of Valley Pres."

Mr. Valdespino is a seasoned leader with more than 25 years of hospital management experience. He is widely known and respected in the Southern California hospital industry, having served as Senior Vice President of Operations for Tenet Health Corporation’s Southern California Region as well as the CEO of several hospitals. After leaving Tenet in 2003, Mr. Valdespino served as President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles. For the past three years, Mr. Valdespino has served as Chief Executive Officer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County – a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to providing one on one mentoring for children.

“I’m thrilled to return to hospital management during these exciting times in the health care industry. I was very impressed with the passion and commitment exhibited by the board members, physicians and senior executives that I met during the selection process. Valley Presbyterian Hospital has a strong tradition of meeting the health care needs of the surrounding community. I look forward to continuing that rich tradition in partnership with our board, medical staff and employees,” said Mr. Valdespino. “VPH has a culture of partnership and collaboration between the medical staff and administration, and I am honored to continue this partnership and to build upon the great work Al Greene accomplished at VPH.”

“As Valley Presbyterian moves forward with the appointment of Mr. Valdespino, I am confident that the future of this institution is in very good hands,” said Kamran Malek, M.D., Chief of the VPH Medical Staff. “I am particularly impressed with Mr. Valdespino’s commitment to open communication and effective relationships between the hospital and physicians.”

“I am confident that we found a stellar leader in Mr. Valdespino and I am certain he will preserve Al Greene’s legacy of growth and the provision of quality health care service for our diverse community,” said Gregory L. Kay, M.D. A member of the Valley Pres Board since 2006, Dr. Kay has served as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Valley Pres for the past three months while the search for a permanent CEO was underway.

Mr. Valdespino is active in both community and professional organizations and has served on numerous boards, such as the March of Dimes, the American Diabetes Association, and the Latino Business Association. He has also been a board member of the Blue Cross Hospital Relations Committee, the Federation of American Hospitals, the Healthcare Association of Southern California and the California Health Association.

In 1998, Mr. Valdespino received the “Up and Comer” Award from Modern Healthcare Magazine. He also received the National Medical Enterprises Circle of Excellence Award (1992-1993); the Tenet Healthcare Corporation Circle of Excellence Award (1996-1998); and the “Leading Hispanic Executive” Award from Hispanic Business Magazine, in 2001.

Mr. Valdespino holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, a master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Los Angeles, and completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School in Boston.

Mr. Valdespino and his wife, Rini Valdespino, have two children – Nicholas and Lauren.