Bill Foley. Courtesy photo.
VENTURA — Bill Foley has been selected as the new Director of the Ventura County Health Care Agency. The appointment was made by County Executive Officer Mike Powers with the unanimous approval of the Board of Supervisors.
“The Health Care Agency is undergoing a significant transformation,” Powers said. “Because of that, we are excited to enrich our strong leadership team by adding a health care leader with a national reputation for leading some of the largest public safety net systems in the Country.”
Foley has a successful national reputation for leading some of the largest public safety net health systems including the Chicago-based Cook County Health and Hospitals System and the New York Health and Hospitals System. In his 30-year career, Foley has held executive leadership positions in both the public and private sectors, including significant experience leading California public hospitals.
Under Foley’s direction, the Health Care Agency’s leadership will be reorganized into new units. Johnson Gill will assume the newly created position of Chief Executive Officer for Ambulatory Care Delivery and Population Health. Kim Milstien will continue to serve as the CEO for the two Ventura County hospitals with additional responsibility for the Ventura County Health Care Plan. Matthew Sandoval will continue to serve as the Chief Deputy Director for Public Health, Behavioral Health, Medical Examiner, Animal Services and Compliance functions.
Dr. John Fankhauser will assume the role of the Health Care Agency Medical Director and will work with Dr. Bryan Wong. Fankhauser is a graduate of the Ventura County Medicine Residency Program and served as the VCMC Medical Director from 2007 to 2013. He is returning from a five-year stay in Liberia where he worked with hospitals and medical professionals to deal with the Ebola crisis. Finally, the team will be supported by the Health Care Agency Chief Financial Officer position that is currently under recruitment.
“I believe we now have one of the strongest health care leadership teams across any county in the state,” said Powers. “With this group, I know that no challenge will be too great.”
Foley, 68, is expected to begin his new duties on January 21, 2019 at a salary of $370,000 plus a performance incentive of up to $80,000. He will be relocating to Ventura County from New York.