Southern California Hospital Trustee, Former CEO Elected 2018 Board Chair of California Hospital Association

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Richard F. Afable, M.D., a trustee of Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, has been elected 2018 chair of the California Hospital Association (CHA) Board of Trustees. 

Afable, a nationally recognized health care leader and medical executive, is the former President & CEO of St. Joseph Hoag Health and executive vice president of Providence St. Joseph Health Southern California Region. He has been named among the "100 Most Influential People in Healthcare" and the "50 Most Influential Physician Executives" by Modern Healthcare.  

Afable, who retired from his full-time executive positions and became a volunteer hospital trustee at the end of last year, takes the helm of the CHA Board at an important time for the association. This past October, CHA welcomed new President & CEO Carmela Coyle, following the retirement of long-time executive C. Duane Dauner.  

"I am honored and humbled to have been chosen the chair of the California Hospital Association for 2018," Afable said. "This is an important time in the life of the association, as we transition from the notable leadership of Duane Dauner over the past 32 years to our new, dynamic chief executive Carmela Coyle. I look forward to working closely with Carmela, the CHA leadership team and hospital/health system leaders all across the state as we endeavor to improve the health and well-being of all Californians."

A graduate of Loyola University in Chicago, Afable earned his medical degree from the Loyola-Stritch School of Medicine. He also earned a master's degree in public health from the University of Illinois and a certificate in business administration from Villanova University.

A board-certified internist and geriatrician, Afable practiced clinical medicine for more than 15 years and served as a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. He also served as an associate professor of medicine at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Afable was the founder and President & CEO of Preferred Physician Partners, an Ohio-based physician practice management company, and served as executive vice president and chief medical officer of Catholic Health East, an East Coast health system comprised of 31 acute-care hospitals and 47 long-term care facilities.

In 2005, Afable was named President & CEO of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach.  In 2013, when Hoag and St. Joseph Health formed St. Joseph Hoag Health, an integrated delivery system, Afable was named President & CEO. In that role, he oversaw seven hospitals, numerous ambulatory sites throughout Orange County and an expansive physician network. Most recently, he served as executive vice president Southern California Region for the newly formed Providence St. Joseph Health.

Afable, who is now building a coalition of public and private groups to address mental health issues in Orange County, has been an active leader in several state and national health care organizations. He is a past member of the Catholic Health Association Board of Trustees and a past chair of the Hospital Association of Southern California. 

Coyle called Afable "an exceptional leader" who, as a physician, a seasoned executive and now a hospital trustee, will bring a unique and valuable perspective to the CHA board.

"Local hospital trustees are the pillars of their communities," Coyle said. "Rick not only understands hospitals from the executive chair, but also from the viewpoint of a leader charged with ensuring ongoing access to care for his community. I'm thrilled to be working alongside Rick during this transition year."

Other officers elected to the CHA Board of Trustees for 2018 are Chair-Elect Calvin "Cal" Knight, President & CEO of John Muir Health in Walnut Creek; Secretary-Treasurer Gary K. Wilde, President & CEO of Community Memorial Health System in Ventura; and Past Chair Ann Rice, CEO of the University of California Davis Medical Center.

As 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 is hospitals' voice at the state and federal levels. CHA has offices in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.      

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SOURCE California Hospital Association