June 15, 2017 – Concluding a national search, El Camino Hospital today announced the selection and appointment of Dan Woods as Chief Executive Officer. The El Camino Hospital Board of Directors approved the appointment during the June 14 Hospital Board meeting. Woods currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, the flagship hospital of WellStar Health System in Georgia, where he oversees a combined medical staff of over 1,100 employed and independent physicians and 4,700 employees. In addition to the hospital, the Regional Medical Center includes Health Park for outpatient medical needs, ambulatory clinics for pediatrics, imaging and urgent care, a physician’s center, cancer center, and a senior living community, among other services.
"Dan has a wealth of experience having worked across a variety of healthcare settings where he developed relationships with physicians and partners to support the strategic growth of those organizations,” stated Neal Cohen, MD, Chair, El Camino Hospital Board of Directors. "His experience also spans academic medical centers to not-for-profit public entities and work with hospital authority boards. We welcome Dan to El Camino Hospital and California."
Prior to WellStar, Woods served as Senior Vice President at Verras Healthcare, a healthcare consulting firm providing services to hospitals by pairing business intelligence with clinical analytics. He served as Vice President of Operations for nine years at Northwestern Memorial Healthcare and concurrently for five years as President and CEO of NM Home Health Care. He spent 12 years at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System serving in multiple leadership roles including President and CEO, CareMed Chicago and Vice President of the health system. With over 25 years of experience serving the healthcare industry, he has championed numerous program development and expansion initiatives to improve the overall patient experience across the continuum of care. Woods has led multi-year improvement strategies that create higher level of efficiencies in hospital operations while improving the overall value for patients.
"As we face an uncertain policy environment and a competitive marketplace, El Camino Hospital must continue to provide top-quality care to its patients while doing all it can to position itself for the future," said Lanhee Chen, Board Chair-Elect and head of the CEO Search Committee. "Dan's experience as a leader and strategist will be of great benefit to our facilities and the communities we serve."
“It is an incredible honor for me to lead and serve the staff, physicians and volunteers of El Camino Hospital, and most importantly, the residents of the El Camino Healthcare District and broader Silicon Valley,” said Woods in accepting the appointment. “The decision to come here was easy for me after meeting with the talented medical staff and management team. As I listened to them talk about their work with patients and families, it was inspiring to hear their words of commitment and dedication. Together, we will achieve great success for the long-term health of the organization and our communities.”
The El Camino Healthcare District Board of Directors approved the Hospital Board CEO selection during a District Board meeting immediately following the Hospital Board meeting. Woods will also serve as CEO of the El Camino Healthcare District reporting to the District Board.
“We are very happy to be able to attract such a highly qualified and suitable candidate. Dan's many years of extensive chief executive officer experience will bring leadership and fresh ideas to our hospital. He will find himself to be an important and integral part of our exciting strategic advancements,” said Peter Fung, MD, Chair, El Camino Healthcare District Board of Directors.