Tomi Ryba named new president of United Hospital
ST. PAUL 01/07/2009--Tomi Ryba will become United Hospital's new president effective February 17, 2009, Allina Hospitals & Clinics' President and Chief Operating Officer Ken Paulus, announced today.
Ryba is currently the chief operating officer at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center. She has held that position since 2002, responsible for improving the quality, efficiency, and financial performance of inpatient and outpatient operations and accountable for necessary infrastructure, capital equipment, and facilities planning for the staff and physicians who serve patients at UCSF Medical Center.
"Allina and United Hospital are fortunate, indeed, to have attracted a leader of Tomi Ryba's caliber," said Paulus. "At UCSF Medical Center she led a five-year turnaround in operations, transforming the hospital from a loss position to a $100 million operating margin. Through it all, she has placed patient care at the top of the center's agenda."
Paulus, who also currently serves as United's interim president, said that Ryba arrives at a key moment in the history of United Hospital and of Allina.
"As we work to advance our vision and evolve from an acute care delivery leader to a health care organization with an expanded reach into illness prevention, management of chronic disease, and the integration of care across geographies, we must simultaneously maintain a sharp focus on taking care of patients every day in an increasingly challenging economic environment," Paulus said.
Ryba says her own priorities closely match Allina's.
"Some of my own priorities are to make sure our healthcare is of exceptional clinical quality, that it's easy to navigate and that it's all done with a priority on world-class service," Ryba said. "I'm also equally excited about working with the community leaders and thinking about what the community needs are and how we work as a community partner."
Ryba says that coming to Minnesota will be a bit of a homecoming for her and her family.
"Our family is looking forward to being part of the wonderful culture that Minnesota offers," Ryba said. "We have family in Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa so we know and love the area and are looking forward to making Minnesota our home."
Before joining UCSF Medical Center, Ryba was president of St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, Calif., a member hospital of Catholic Healthcare West. Prior to that, she served as chief operating officer of University of Washington's Harborview Medical Center.
Ryba has had extensive experience in academic medicine and the public sector including five years as chief executive officer of Riverside Regional Medical Center, an affiliate of Loma Linda University. She has been an active community leader, serving as president of Alternatives to Domestic Violence, vice president of the Junior League and board member of the National Charity League. In 1997, Ms. Ryba received the Outstanding Woman of the Year/Athena Award for Riverside County in recognition of her community and professional leadership.
About United Hospital
United Hospital, the largest hospital in the Twin Cities east metro area, is a non-profit hospital providing a full range of health care services to more than 200,000 people each year. United offers a wide range of health services including a birth center, cardiac care in the Nasseff Heart Center, emergency care, oncology, orthopedics, neurosciences and epilepsy, a pain center, rehabilitation, medical imaging and surgery. More information about United Hospital, which is part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, can be found on the Internet at www.unitedhospital.com .
# # #
|
