Adventist Health Glendale hires new president

Alice Issai has lived in Glendale for almost four decades and now she’s taking over the helm at Adventist Health Glendale as its president.

“I’ve lived in Glendale since 1979 and this is my home,” she said. “I’m very proud of the city, so I am thrilled to be able to give back to my community through this organization.”

Issai, formerly the chief operating officer for USC’s Keck Hospital and Norris Cancer Hospital, will assume her new role on July 2.

During her tenure at USC, she was responsible for developing high-performing teams and expanding access to affordable healthcare in Los Angeles, Adventist Health Glendale officials said.

Prior to her role at the USC hospitals, she held several executive positions in finance, business strategy and operations at UC Irvine Health, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles and West Los Angeles as well as City of Hope National Medical Center.

She is a graduate of Andrews University in Michigan and completed her master’s degree in business at Pepperdine University.

“The medical staff is eager for Alice’s arrival in July,” said Harlan Gibbs, Adventist Health’s chief of staff, in a statement. “With her depth of knowledge and breadth of expertise, we are confident that, working together, we will continue to improve the health of the Glendale community we passionately care for.”

Issai said she thinks working with major organizations has given her the leadership and problem-solving skills to push Adventist Health Glendale forward.

In her past roles, she has created strong models making rounds with patients and families, which she said has helped her stay connected and identify needs in the community.

Her hope is that “if there’s a situation or a disease or an illness, the first place that comes to their mind is Glendale Adventist health.”

In her first 90 days on the job, she plans to meet with employees, physicians, nurses, board members and community leaders about needs and existing services offered to the Glendale community.

“[I want] to continue leading this well-respected organization to a higher level of performance by providing easy access to healthcare and continue the great work on the safety and quality,” she said. “I am committed to ensuring that every interaction we have with patients, families and our community is a high-quality experience.”

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra