COVINA, Calif., Oct. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In the wake of a global pandemic, Emanate Health CEO Robert H. Curry, who oversees the largest health care system in the San Gabriel Valley, has been named 2021 Health System Executive of the Year by the Los Angeles Business Journal during its annual Health Care Leadership Panel and Awards. Click here to see’s Curry’s citation in the special edition of the publication.
“I’m truly humbled and honored to be selected for this award from such a distinguished group of Los Angeles-area health care leaders,” said Curry. “But this recognition truly says more about the outstanding doctors, nurses, staff members and volunteers who serve our patients than it does about me. Our staff is the backbone of our organization and everyone works hard every day to bring health and wellness to the communities we serve, especially during a global pandemic.”
Curry, who has served in his current role since November 2008, was among 70 individual and organizational nominees in 16 categories during the recent awards program. Nominees represented some of the biggest names in health care in Los Angeles including UCLA Health, Cedars Sinai, Keck Medicine of USC, Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, City of Hope, Health Net and L.A. Care Health Plan, among others.
His citation in the Business Journal noted that “In the last decade, Curry has transformed Emanate Health into a financially sustainable health care enterprise. Fitch Ratings recently awarded Emanate Health an A+ rating for revenue bonds issued in 2020 and a stable outlook moving forward. An industry advocate, Curry has dedicated his more than 40 years of hospital leadership to expand access to care, address health care disparities, and promote greater health equity for all.”
Gary Mathewson, Chair, Emanate Health Board of Directors, underscored Curry’s role in Emanate Health’s response to the pandemic. “In the most challenging of years, Rob’s leadership has been invaluable in guiding Emanate Health during the uncertainty created by the pandemic. His steady hand ensured our financial stability, preserved hundreds of staff positions and helped bring our communities back to good health in body, mind and spirit.”
Curry serves as the Board Chair for Private Essential Access Community Hospitals (PEACH)—a network of private, core safety-net hospitals in California that care for a disproportionate share of low-income, medically vulnerable patients. He is the treasurer of LA Care Health Plan, the largest Medicaid plan in the country with more than 22 million enrollees. Curry is also on the board of directors for the California Hospital Association and also serves as a member of its executive committee.
Prior to joining Emanate Health, he served as President & CEO for five years at O’Connor Hospital in San Jose, California. Before O’Connor Hospital, Curry was CEO of Thunderbird Medical Center, a 640- bed Banner Health System hospital in Glendale, Arizona, for 13 years. In conjunction, he also served as CEO of Maryvale Samaritan Medical Center, a 340-bed community hospital and affiliated with the Banner Health System. Curry also has held executive positions with hospital systems in Youngstown, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Curry holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master’s in Public Health Administration, both from the University of Pittsburgh.
About Emanate Health
Emanate Health exists to help people keep well in body, mind and spirit by providing quality health care services in a safe, compassionate environment. Emanate Health is the largest nonprofit health care provider serving the one million residents of the San Gabriel Valley in California. The system provides specialized care in Behavioral Health, Cancer, Cardiovascular, Emergency, Neuroscience and Stroke, Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, and Women’s Health. Its family of hospitals and hospice include Emanate Health Inter-Community in Covina, Emanate Health Queen of the Valley in West Covina, Emanate Health Foothill Presbyterian in Glendora, Emanate Health Hospice and Home Care in West Covina, as well as other clinics throughout the region. Year after year the health care system has been voted “Best Hospital” and “Best Place to Work” and providers are consistently among the “Top Doctors” in Los Angeles County and hospitals are graded A for Patient Safety by The Leapfrog Group. Visit emanatehealth.org, our Newsroom and connect with us on LinkedIn │Twitter │ Instagram │ Facebook.
