French Hospital CEO Iftiniuk to retire
Alan Iftiniuk will retire at the start of next year as president and CEO of French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, after nearly 22 years with Dignity Health, the hospital system announced June 2.
Iftiniuk’s official retirement date is Jan. 3, said Sara San Juan, director of marketing and communications for Dignity Health Southern California, in an email to the Business Times.
Iftiniuk has been president and CEO of French Hospital since 2004. He joined Dignity Health in San Francisco in 2001. French Hospital has 112 beds and is part of Dignity Health’s Southern California Division.
In a Dignity Health news release, Iftiniuk said he is “proud of countless accomplishments through the years” and “fortunate to serve as president and CEO for more than two decades.”
“One of the most rewarding successes has come in recent times with the Beyond Health fundraising campaign, aimed to raise $30 million for the new hospital expansion project,” Iftiniuk said. “In total, $17 million has been raised to date, which will serve the community well into the future, ensuring a lasting legacy of our commitment to the health and wellness of the people of San Luis Obispo County.”
A national recruitment effort for French Hospital’s new CEO is underway, San Juan said.
The new leader will oversee an ongoing renovation and expansion project that Dignity Health has called “the new French Hospital,” including plans for a new 85,000-square-foot patient care tower with private rooms, a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, an expanded intensive care unit, an interfaith chapel, a parking tower and heliport.
The Swanson Family Chapel is currently under construction, and Dignity Health is making modifications to the campus to prepare for the new building, San Juan said.
French Hospital has become an award-winning, nationally recognized medical center during Iftiniuk’s tenure, according to Dignity Health. Under his leadership, the hospital has experienced “tremendous growth” with physician recruitment, plus expansion of clinical services, and “successful” alliances, partnerships and acquisitions, Dignity Health’s news release said.
He helped the philanthropic efforts of the hospital, raising $58 million since the inception of the French Hospital Medical Foundation, a non-profit corporation, in 2005.
Additionally, Iftiniuk has been “instrumental in bringing technological and clinical advancements to San Luis Obispo County” and developed “a meaningful and impactful relationship” with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Dignity Health said.
As Iftiniuk prepares for retirement, “he leaves the hospital strongly positioned for continued growth and success,” Julie Sprengel, president and CEO of Dignity Health’s Southern California Division, said in a statement.
