News Release

Adventist Health CEO Kerry L. Heinrich Elected 2024 Chair of California Hospital Association Board of Trustees 

SACRAMENTO (January 18, 2024) — Kerry L. Heinrich, President & CEO of Adventist Health, has been elected 2024 chair of the California Hospital Association’s (CHA) Board of Trustees. Heinrich, who has served in the top leadership position at Adventist Health since 2022, oversees the integrated health system that serves more than 90 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii with over 400 sites of care, including 26 acute care facilities. The organization, headquartered in Roseville, has a team of 37,000 employees, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals, and volunteers.

Prior to joining Adventist Health, Heinrich spent seven years as the CEO of Loma Linda University Health’s six hospitals in Southern California. In this role, he also served as a member of Adventist Health’s Board of Trustees. Previously, Heinrich was outside legal counsel to Loma Linda University Health’s affiliated entities. A graduate of Walla Walla University in Washington State, Heinrich earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Oregon’s School of Law.

“I am proud to serve as the 2024 chair of CHA’s Board of Trustees,” Heinrich said. “California hospitals are facing incredible pressure, putting health care for California residents at risk. CHA plays a crucial role in empowering California’s health systems, and in this new leadership capacity I will continue to be an untiring advocate of this important work.”

Joining Heinrich as CHA officers for 2024 are Chair-Elect Siri Nelson, CEO of Marshall Medical Center in Placerville; Secretary/Treasurer Julie Sprengel, California Division President, CommonSpirit Health, Glendale; and Past Chair, Todd Suntrapak, President & CEO, Valley Children’s Healthcare in Madera.

“California hospitals continue to grapple with strong headwinds due to extreme financial challenges, persistent workforce shortages, and a shared goal to make health care more affordable,” said CHA President & CEO Carmela Coyle. “As hospitals navigate these challenges, we are fortunate to have visionary leaders such as Kerry Heinrich and the other officers and members of the CHA Board guiding our work to deliver better health care to all Californians.”

Other members of the 2024 CHA Board are: 

  • Elaine Batchlor, MD, CEO, MLK Community Healthcare, Los Angeles  
  • Kavitha Bhatia, MD, President & Chair, Prime Healthcare Foundation, and CMO of Strategy, Prime Healthcare, Ontario  
  • Carolyn Caldwell, Hospital President & CEO, St. Mary Medical Center, Long Beach  
  • Jackie (DeSouza) Van Blaricum, President, Far West Division, HCA Healthcare, Henderson, Nev* 
  • Laureen Driscoll, South Division Chief Executive, Providence – California 
  • Susan Ehrlich, MD, CEO, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, San Francisco  
  • David Entwistle, President & CEO, Stanford Health Care, Palo Alto 
  • Karen Faulis, CEO, Hi-Desert Medical Center, Joshua Tree; and JFK Memorial Hospital, Indio* 
  • Patrick Frias, MD, President & CEO, Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego 
  • Michelle Gaskill-Hames, RN, Regional President, Kaiser Permanente Southern California & Hawaii 
  • Diane Hansen, President & CEO, Palomar Health, Escondido 
  • Keith Hobbs, President & CEO, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Torrance* 
  • Christopher “Chris” Howard, President & CEO, Sharp HealthCare, San Diego 
  • James E.T. Jackson, CEO, Alameda Health System, Oakland 
  • David Klein, MD, CEO MarinHealth Medical Center, Greenbrae 
  • Mark Lisa, CEO, Tenet Health Central Coast, Templeton* 
  • Marcel Loh, Governing Board Member, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, Los Angeles 
  • Marcia Manker, CEO, MemorialCare, Orange Coast & Saddleback Medical Centers, Orange County 
  • Patty Maysent, CEO, UC San Diego Health, San Diego 
  • Lori Morgan, MD, President & CEO, Huntington Hospital, Pasadena     
  • Jorge Orozco, CEO, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles 
  • Carrie Owen-Plietz, President, Northern California Region, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland 
  • JoDee Read, CEO, Plumas District Hospital, Quincy 
  • Mark Sevco, COO, Sutter Health, Sacramento* 
  • Rick Shumway, President & CEO, Stanford Health Care-Tri-Valley, Pleasanton* 
  • Johnese Spisso, President, UCLA Health and CEO, UCLA Hospital System, Los Angeles 
  • Warner Thomas, President & CEO, Sutter Health, Sacramento 
  • Louis Ward, COO/Administrator, Tahoe Forest Health District, Truckee    
  • Darlene Wetton, CEO, Temecula Valley Hospital, Temecula 
  • Mike Wiltermood, President & CEO, Enloe Medical Center, Chico 

*Indicates new CHA board member for 2024 

One of the largest health care trade associations in the nation, CHA represents more than 400 hospitals and health systems in California. The association advocates for patients and hospitals, promotes public health policy, and represents hospitals at the state and federal levels. CHA has offices in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.