Tribute Dinner Past Honorees

2024
Gustavo Valdespino (bio)

Gustavo Valdespino was honored as President and Chief Executive Officer of Valley Presbyterian Hospital (VPH). Mr. Valdespino joined VPH in 2009 and is a seasoned leader with over 40 years of hospital management experience. Prior to joining VPH, he served as Senior Vice President of Operations for Tenet Health Corporation’s Southern California region.

2023
Johnese Spisso, RN, MPA (bio)

Johnese Spisso, RN, MPA was honored as President of UCLA Health, CEO of UCLA Hospital System, and Associate Vice Chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences. Spisso joined UCLA in 2016 and is responsible for all aspects of the health system and the regional outreach strategy in the local, state, national and international programs. She is a nationally recognized academic healthcare leader with more than 40 years of experience.

2022
Arthur M. Southam, MD (bio)

Arthur M. Southam, MD was honored as Executive Vice President Health Plan Operations and Chief Growth Officer of Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Southam is dedicated to delivering high-quality, affordable health care and coverage to more Americans. Dr. Southam joined Kaiser Permanente in 2001 and has national responsibility for Health Plan marketing, sales, service, and administrative activities that support growth and care.

2021
Paul Viviano (bio)

Paul Viviano was honored as President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Mr. Viviano is recognized as both a major health care leader and prominent advocate of child health. For over three decades, he has directed academic, nonprofit, and for-profit health care organizations delivering excellence in clinical care. Mr. Viviano joined Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as President and CEO in 2015 and serves as a member of its Board of Directors and Board of Trustees.

2020
Event Canceled Due to Covid-19

2019
Elaine Batchlor, MD, MPH

Elaine Batchlor, MD, MPH, was honored as the CEO of Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, a state-of-the-art, community-oriented safety net hospital that provides compassionate, quality care to the South Los Angeles Community. Throughout her career, Dr. Batchlor’s number one priority has been to improve access and quality of care for underserved communities utilizing innovative and collaborative approaches. Her work to increase access for underserved populations has been recognized as an example of leading best practices and adopted throughout California.

2018
Diana S. Dooley

Diana S. Dooley was honored as the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency by Governor Jerry Brown at the beginning of his term in 2011. She has used the federal law, together with state legislative and administrative actions, to make improvements in the quality of healthcare delivery, increase transparency and consumer engagement, and promote the integration and coordination of medical, behavioral, and social services in the furtherance of whole-person care.

2017
Rod Hochman, MD

Rod Hochman, MD, was honored as president and CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health. With his leadership and health system expertise, Dr. Hochman oversees Providence Health & Services across five states. He is transforming health care through digital innovation, genomics and scientific wellness, population health, and outreach to the poor and vulnerable.

2016
Don Crane

Don Crane is President and CEO of CAPG, the nation’s only professional association exclusively representing capitated, coordinated care organizations.

2015
Robert Margolis, MD

Robert Margolis, MD, was honored as Co-Chairman of the Board, DaVita HealthCare Partners and CEO Emeritus of HealthCare Partners, LLC. He is a much sought-after spokesperson because of his vast experience in integrated delivery systems and physician practice management.

2014
Leeba Lessin

In Memoriam
Leeba Lessin was honored for her role as Senior Vice President of WellPoint and President of its affiliated Medicare businesses, serving more than two million members through Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicare Supplement, and Prescription Drug Plans.

2013
Barry Arbuckle, Ph.D.

Partners honored Barry Arbuckle, Ph.D. as President and CEO of MemorialCare Health System, a leading not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system with almost $2 billion in annual revenues.

2012
David T. Feinberg, MD, MBA

As President of UCLA Health System, Dr. David Feinberg oversaw all aspects of the prestigious operation, including Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA, and UCLA Medical, Santa Monica.

2011
Howard A. Kahn

Howard Kahn was honored as the CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest public health plan in America. Mr. Kahn has served in leadership positions creating initiatives, coalitions, and policies.

2010
Lloyd A. Bookman, Esq.

Co-founder of Hooper, Lundy and Bookman, P.C., Lloyd Bookman represents health care providers in complex regulatory, reimbursement, and transactional matters.

2010
Robert W. Lundy, Esq.

Partners honored Robert Lundy as co-founder and managing partner of Hooper, Lundy and Bookman, P.C., the largest law firm in the country dedicated solely to the representation of health care providers and suppliers.

2009
Richard A. Norling

Partners honored Richard Norling because of his work as a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

2008
George C. Halvorson

As Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, George C. Halvorson headed the nation’s largest non-profit health plan and hospital system, serving more than 9 million members and generating about $50 billion in annual revenue.

2007
Lloyd H. Dean

Lloyd H. Dean was honored for his work as President/CEO of CommonSpirit Health (formerly known as Dignity Health and Catholic Healthcare West), an integrated not-for-profit health care system in three western states.

2006
Francine Kaufman, MD

Partners honored Francine Kaufman, MD, as a Distinguished Professor Emerita of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine and the Annenberg School of Communications at USC.

2005
Thomas M. Priselac

Thomas Priselac was honored as President and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System. Mr. Priselac is an author and invited speaker on a variety of contemporary issues facing the health care field today.

2004 and 2018
Lifetime Achievement Award C. Duane Dauner

In Memoriam

C. Duane Dauner was honored as President and CEO of the California Hospital Association. A nationally known leader on health issues, he is a popular lecturer and has authored numerous articles.

2003
Robert E. Tranquada, MD

In Memoriam

Dr. Tranquada’s leadership initiated and shaped many health care organizations. Although retired, Dr. Tranquada’s leadership continues with service on many local and national health care charitable, higher education, and civic boards, and as an author of numerous medical and policy articles.

2002
James E. Ludlam, J.D.

In Memoriam

Mr. Ludlam passed away in August of 2008. He was recognized as one of the founders of healthcare law who helped shape California’s healthcare environment.

2001
Yoshi Honkawa

Mr. Honkawa served for many years as Vice President, Government and Industry Relations, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, following a long and distinguished career in health care administration.

2000
Dr. Allen & Weta Mathies

The Mathies Award was named in honor of this couple’s distinguished careers and Dr. Mathies’ remarkable leadership of the Visiting Nurse Association of Los Angeles (VNA-LA) and the founding Board of Partners in Care Foundation.

2024
Martha Santana-Chin (bio)

Martha Santana-Chin was honored as Medi-Cal and Medicare President of Health Net. Ms. Santana-Chin leads Health Net’s operations as well as the Medicare and Medi-Cal business lines, which serve over 2 million members. She has designed and led transformational programs to improve access to care for California’s most vulnerable residents, advance health equity and manage costs.

2022
Sachin H. Jain, MD (bio)

Sachin H. Jain, MD was honored as President and CEO of SCAN Group and Health Plan, where he is charged with leading the organization’s growth, diversification, and emerging efforts to reduce healthcare disparities. Under Dr. Jain’s leadership, SCAN’s revenues topped $3.4B and the organization now serves 220,000 patients.

2014
James R. West

James R. West was honored as the President and Chief Executive Officer of PIH Health, an integrated delivery system comprised of two hospitals, 22 medical offices, home health services, a medical foundation, and an independent physician association.

2011
Molina Family & Molina Family Healthcare, Inc.

Molina Healthcare began in 1980 as an small medical clinic in Long Beach, California. As an emergency room physician, C. David Molina, MD saw the need for an alternative to going to the ER.

2010
Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong was honored as a physician, surgeon, and scientist. He pioneered treatments for both diabetes and cancer, publishing over 100 scientific papers, and holding 50 US patents on groundbreaking advancements across a myriad of fields.

2006
Kathleen Brown

Kathleen Brown was honored as the former Treasurer of the State of California and Board member of the Los Angeles Unified School District.