Irvine-based St. Joseph Hoag Health announced several executive changes within its network of seven hospitals.
The network is comprised of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian campuses in Newport Beach and Irvine; Hoag Orthopedic Institute, also in Irvine; Mission Hospital campuses in Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach; St. Joseph Hospital of Orange; and St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton. It also includes 1,625 aligned physicians, 26 urgent care centers, seven wellness clinics, and other programs and services as part of its system.
The recent changes in the executive ranks touch three of the hospitals and are “consistent with our transformational changes into the health system [we are] today, not only how we do and what we do [to provide care], but also structural,” said Dr. Richard Afable, chief executive officer of St. Joseph Hoag Health. “The people changes are more of the element of coincidence [with the structural].”
Afable also serves as executive vice president of the Southern California Region of Providence St. Joseph Health, a separate combination with Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health & Services.
The shifts Afable announced for St. Joseph Hoag included new duties for Lee Penrose, who previously served as chief executive of St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton. Penrose has taken the newly created position of chief operating officer for acute care delivery at St. Joseph Hoag Health.
He will work with system leaders to oversee acute-care operations across Orange County and the High Desert region.
Brian Helleland, former chief operating officer of St. Jude, has been named to replace Penrose there.
Tarek Salaway has been named chief executive for Mission Hospital’s Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach campuses. He previously served as chief operating officer for both campuses. No replacement for his old spot has been announced.
“It will be up to Tarek [Salaway] to decide what’s the most effective structure in terms of accomplishing our collective goal in South Orange County,” Afable said.
Salaway replaced Afable, who had served as interim chief executive for both campuses after Kenneth McFarland resigned last February.
St Joseph Hospital of Orange also will get a new chief executive. Jeremy Zoch, current executive vice president and chief operating officer, will replace current Chief Executive Steven Moreau, who is slated to retire in March when Moreau retires.
St Joseph Hoag’s two other hospital executives—Robert Braithwaite, chief executive of Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach and Irvine, and Alan Garrett of St. Mary in the High Desert—will remain in their roles.
