MemorialCare Selects Blair Kent as New Chief Executive Officer for Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach

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Dec 08, 2022, 12:45 ET

Kent brings 20+ Years of Hospital and HealthCare Operations Experience to CEO Position

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MemorialCare is pleased to announce the appointment of Blair Kent as Chief Executive Officer of its Long Beach hospitals, Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach. Kent is a senior executive with more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience. In his most recent role, as Chief Executive Officer at Intermountain Medical Center, Kent led the largest of Intermountain Healthcare's 33 hospitals and the largest hospital in Utah, ensuring clinical excellence and a strong commitment to the community.

Blair Kent, chief executive officer of Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach

"We are thrilled to have Blair in the CEO role at our Long Beach campus," says Barry Arbuckle, Ph.D., President and CEO, MemorialCare. "Blair is an accomplished executive and proven healthcare leader. He brings a wealth of experience in leading hospitals within a large integrated health system, focusing on operations, strategy, philanthropy, physician partnerships, and employee engagement."

Kent is driven by a core set of values and is a visionary leader with a demonstrated history of success at Intermountain. He served as the top executive for several of Intermountain's hospitals throughout his tenure with the organization, including Chief Executive Officer of the health system's flagship enterprise, Intermountain Medical Center.

Under Kent's leadership, Intermountain Medical Center received numerous awards and high ratings from third-party organizations for clinical excellence. In addition, the medical center was recognized for its strong commitment to the community and its service to both insured and underinsured populations. It was also named an LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader in the National Healthcare Equality Index, earning the highest possible score of 100 points for building a culture of inclusion and equality.

"I am honored to join MemorialCare and to have the opportunity to lead these two great hospitals into their next exciting chapter," says Kent. "MemorialCare is an innovative and nationally respected health system, and I look forward to continuing the long tradition of driving high quality care and value for our patients and our community for years to come."

Kent succeeds John Bishop, who announced in July his intention to step down from his position. Kent's appointment comes after an extensive search process led by the Board of Directors, key executives and physician leaders within MemorialCare.

After hours, Kent is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys fly fishing, golf, community service and family activities with his wife, children and grandchildren.

About MemorialCare:

MemorialCare, nonprofit Southern California integrated delivery system and innovator in value-based care, has over 225 care locations; 15,000 employees and affiliated physicians; top hospitals—Long Beach Medical Center, Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Medical Center and Saddleback Medical Center; award-winning MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians; MemorialCare Select Health Plan; and outpatient surgery, imaging, urgent care, dialysis, breast health and physical therapy centers. MemorialCare's many honors have included Best U.S. Health Systems, Top Places to Work, Top Hospital rankings from readers of eight regional newspapers, 10 Largest U.S. Children's Hospitals, Top 100 Hospitals, A Hospital Safety Score, Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals, Magnet nursing excellence status for all MemorialCare hospitals, among much more. Visit www.memorialcare.org.

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 Health System