MemorialCare's Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Make Strategic Changes in Executive Leadership Structure

Miller Children's & Women's creates new elevated chief executive position to support pediatric strategy and drive growth across the region

LONG BEACH, Calif., Oct. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach announced the promotion of three members of the hospitals' executive team and a new leadership structure to align with MemorialCare's future strategic plans, including regional growth in pediatrics and advancing our position as the region's leader in healthcare.

Yair Katz, Chief Financial Officer of both hospitals for the past seven years, has been promoted to the newly created position of Chief Executive Miller Children's & Women's Hospital and Senior Vice President of Pediatrics for MemorialCare. While leading all financial operations of the Long Beach hospitals, Katz has demonstrated a deep understanding of the uniqueness of children's hospitals, has been an advocate for, and key leader in, many of the Miller Children's & Women's growth initiatives. He has also been a conduit between the leadership team of the hospital and its philanthropic foundation. Katz has assumed his new role and will continue his CFO duties until a replacement has been identified.

"Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach is one of MemorialCare's most unique assets. It is one of only eight stand-alone children's hospitals in California, and the greatest area of untapped growth potential within our health system," says Barry Arbuckle, President and Chief Executive Officer, MemorialCare. "To enable the highest possible level of strategic focus, it became very clear that we would be well-served to have an additional senior executive whose primary focus is Miller Children's & Women's Hospital, and our team recognized that Yair was an exceptional choice for this role."

In addition to the Chief Executive role for Miller Children's & Women's, a Chief Nursing Executive role has been created for senior oversight of all patient care areas. Susan Herman, DNP, RN has been promoted into this expanded leadership position, from her previous role as the Chief Nursing Officer of Miller Children's & Women's. As the Chief Nursing Executive, Herman will ensure a shared vision for nursing excellence, continuity in professional practice across both Miller Children's & Women's and Long Beach Medical Center, focusing on both strategy and operational excellence for patient care. Herman will be supported by two assistant nurse executives, one for each hospital, that will work collaboratively with her to ensure continued quality of care for all our patient populations. Herman brings with her 25 years of nursing leadership experience at organizations that include Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, Kaiser, and several acute care community hospitals. Herman has a seven-year history of accomplishments at Miller Children's and Women's. 

Steve Cesca has been promoted to Chief Strategy Officer for both Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's. Cesca is a results-oriented and forward-thinking healthcare executive with 30 years of experience in healthcare strategy and business development. Steve has been with MemorialCare since 2018 as the Vice President of Business Development. He has elevated the strategic planning for Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's and has been instrumental in physician alignment and recruitment. In his new role, he will work closely with Katz and Herman to ensure our capital plans and delivery of care models align with our strategy and program growth. Prior to joining MemorialCare, Cesca led strategic services at UCI Health and strategic and business planning for CHOC.

The newly promoted executives will work closely with the hospitals' physician executive leaders, Joe Kim, M.D., chief medical officer for Long Beach Medical Center and Graham Tse, M.D., chief medical officer for Miller Children's & Women's to advance physician alignment and continue to ensure continuance of exceptional quality of services.

Helen Macfie, PharmD, remains acting Chief Operating Officer for both hospitals, and John Bishop continues as CEO, while a nationwide search effort for his replacement is underway. MemorialCare expects to have a new CEO identified and in place by early 2023.

About MemorialCare's Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach:
MemorialCare's Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach are designated with the prestigious Magnet® recognition for excellence in nursing. Long Beach Medical Center has been providing compassionate care with the latest state-of-the-art technology for more than 100 years and is the region's first choice for comprehensive care in virtually every medical and surgical specialty. Miller Children's & Women's provides specialized pediatric care for children and young adults — as well as maternity care for expectant mothers — under one roof. Since both hospitals share one campus, they are uniquely qualified to care for patients of all ages, from a newborn to an older adult. Visit memorialcare.org/LongBeach and millerchildrens.org for more information.

SOURCE MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach