The California Hospital Association board of trustees elected Gary Wilde, PhD, president and CEO of Ventura, Calif.-based Community Memorial Health System, to be 2020 chair of the board.
Dr. Wilde has been with Community Memorial Health System since 2004. The system includes a 242-bed hospital, a 91-bed hospital, and a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, as well as primary care and outpatient clinics.
"I'm the CEO of a small health system," he said in a video after his election. "From that vantage point, I can really appreciate the struggles that small, rural hospitals are facing. I can also relate to larger hospitals and even academic health centers, being a teaching hospital."
As chair of CHA, Dr. Wilde plans to advance legislation that supports hospitals' ability to provide affordable and accessible care.
"I am excited about the opportunity to work with hospital leaders from across our state as we
help shape a healthcare delivery system of the future for California," Dr. Wilde said in a press release.
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