New CEO named at Valley Presbyterian: Valdespino worked in L.A., O.C.

Valley Presbyterian Hospital appointed Gustavo "Gus" Valdespino president and chief executive officer, effective Sept. 1. He succeeds Albert L. Greene, who passed away in April 2009. Dr. Gregory L. Kay was interim president and CEO.

Greene is credited with spurring significant growth at the Van Nuys-based hospital from 2006 to 2009. Valdespino said he plans to continue on the same track as Greene and build on the hospital's core strengths.

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"At a general level, the hospital has done great work over the past 52 years," said Valdespino. "And over the past three years Greene has put in motion how to better its financial (standing). My goal is to continue to grow on that."

Greene passed away on April 16 at age 59. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June 2008 and battled the disease for 10 months while still leading Valley Presbyterian Hospital.

Under his leadership, the hospital invested $16.6 million into capital improvements such as: renovation of the imaging department; expansion of the cardiology department; laying plans for a new 80,000 square foot medical office building; and upgrading the hospital's information technology infrastructure.

Over the past three years, Valley Pres' average daily patient census has increased by more than 25 percent, said Kay, a retired cardiothoracic surgeon who is also a member of the hospital's board of trustees, in a previous interview with the Business Journal.

The obstetrics department averages 400 to 500 or more child deliveries per month.

"Al is somebody who really did turn the hospital around," said Kay. "Because of that success he was beloved. My main challenge as interim CEO was to help everybody realize that the hospital was not going to backslide." Enter Valdespino.

First-off, Valdespino said Kay's leadership as interim president and CEO was critical in helping the hospital cope with the loss of Albert Greene. "(Kay) provided tremendous comfort for staff and helped to assure a smooth transition," he said.

Prior to joining Valley Pres, Valdespino served as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County; president and CEO of St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles; and senior vice president of operations for Tenet Healthcare Corporation's Southern California Region.

He said some of the hospital's core strengths ate obstetrics, cardiology, orthopedics, and emergency room services. And his immediate plans include moving forward with developing a new medical office building on campus, and looking at growing the oncology and acute rehabilitation programs.

As the hospital grows it will likely hire additional staff to meet demand, said Valdespino. He plans on addressing how to increase the hospital's accountability and doctor outcomes and share that information with the community.

"We have a responsibility to work with doctors, the board and the community to assure the financial stability of Valley Presbyterian Hospital and that we have a good collective vision," said Valdespino.

BY ERIC BILLINGSLEY

Staff Reporter