Patty Maysent Named CEO of UC San Diego Health

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Patty Maysent, CEO, UC San Diego Health

Patty Maysent has accepted the position as CEO of UC San Diego Health, the region’s only academic health system. Her appointment was approved by the UC Board of Regents and will commence January 21, 2016.

“Patty’s unique combination of chief and senior executive experience inside UC San Diego Health, and health care organizations throughout California, made her the top national candidate,” said David Brenner, MD, vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of UC San Diego School of Medicine. “In three years, she has achieved superb results developing the UC San Diego Health strategic plan, implementing initiatives to improve patient care while reducing costs, and building clinical affiliations to increase access to the university’s specialized medical and surgical services.”

“I am deeply honored to continue my service to UC San Diego Health, our extraordinary physician-scientists and deeply dedicated staff,” said Maysent. “I look forward to accelerating collaborations with local hospitals, physicians and providers to expand access to our tertiary and quaternary clinical services. Patients in San Diego, Riverside and Imperial Counties do not need to leave the region to access world-class care.”

Maysent added that UC San Diego Health will deepen its commitment to transforming health care for patients locally and globally with the opening of Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla in late 2016, and through its continued commitment to UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest.

“UC San Diego has made an incredible commitment over the last decade to recruit some of the world’s best physicians and surgeons in cancer, neurosciences, transplantation, and cardiovascular care,” said Maysent. “These recruitments are part of our mission of delivering outstanding patient care, groundbreaking research and inspired teaching.”

Maysent is responsible for the performance and operations of UC San Diego Health, which employs more than 7,500 persons and has an operating budget in excess of $1.7 billion. She is the principal architect of its strategic plan, which concentrates on patient experience, clinical excellence, performance management and growth.

Maysent brings more than 25 years of executive experience in hospital and health services to UC San Diego Health. She joined the university in 2012, and served in chief of staff and chief strategy officer roles to CEO Paul Viviano. In 2015, she became interim CEO with the departure of Viviano to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

As chief strategy officer and interim CEO, Maysent developed strategic partnerships with Sharp HealthCare, Scripps Health, Tri-City Healthcare, El Centro Regional Medical Center and Eisenhower Medical Center. She also expanded both UC San Diego Health Care and Physician Networks. Affiliates collaborate to develop shared infrastructure, care pathways and clinical quality initiatives to provide high-value services to patients, employers and health plans.

Prior to UC San Diego Health, Maysent served in several executive roles, including CEO of St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, where she negotiated and built the St. Jude Heritage Medical Practice Foundation.

Maysent holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in human biology from Stanford University and master’s degrees in business administration and public health from University of California, Los Angeles.

Maysent serves on the board and executive committee of the Boys and Girls Club of San Dieguito. An advocate of healthy living and exercise, she is an avid swimmer, paddler and surfer. As a senior in high school, she was the national champion in the 200 breaststroke in 1979, and a bronze medalist in the Pan American games. At Stanford, she was a four-year All American, Academic All American and team captain of Stanford’s NCAA National Championship Swim Team in 1983.

UC San Diego Health ranked #1 in San Diego for the fifth consecutive year in 2015 in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” issue. UC San Diego Health is composed of UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest and Thornton Hospital, Moores Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center and Jacobs Medical Center (opening 2016), all in La Jolla, as well as other primary and specialty practices located throughout Southern California.