Medical Center Staff Chief Dies 6 Days Into Job

Services will be held Sunday for the chief of staff at Western Medical Center, who died of a heart attack just six days after assuming that post.

Dr. Robert M. Sheridan, 56, died Wednesday at his home in Newport Beach, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Sheridan, an orthopedic surgeon, had been on the hospital’s staff since 1975. In addition to teaching medicine at UC Irvine, he was a member of the hospital’s Medical Executive Committee for the past 10 years and, on Jan. 1, had begun a two-year term as the hospital’s chief of staff.

“Not only was he dedicated to physicians’ rights and welfare, but Dr. Sheridan provided an enormous amount of care to the community,” Richard E. Butler, the hospital’s chief executive officer, said in statement. “His death is a keenly felt loss to our medical staff and community at large.”

Sheridan established an orthopedic clinic at the hospital for underprivileged children and spent 17 years providing volunteer medical supervision and service to the Orange County Chapter of Disabled Sports USA, as well as Crippled Children’s Services.

According to hospital spokeswoman Louise Verghis, Sheridan’s term as chief of staff will be completed by Dr. Jeffrey Kaufman.

Sheridan is survived by his wife, Loralee, as well as two daughters, Danice and Heather. Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday at Pacific View Memorial Park, 3500 Pacific View Drive, Corona del Mar.