Los Altos Hills, CA – June 18, 2010 – Robert Issai, President and CEO of Daughters of Charity Health System (DCHS), has been elected to the Catholic Health Association of the United States Board of Trustees for a three-year term in an election held during the organization’s 2010 National Assembly on June 15 in Denver, Colorado. DCHS is a not-for-profit health system comprised of six hospitals and medical centers spanning the California coast. The Catholic Health Association (CHA) represents more than 2,000 not-for-profit Catholic healthcare sponsors, systems, facilities, and related organizations. The ministry is committed to improving the health status of communities and creating quality and compassionate healthcare for everyone.
“I look forward to working with the Board to forge a future that strengthens our Catholic health ministry,” said Issai. “By making sound decisions and providing strategic direction, we will work together in these challenging times to improve the health status of everyone, especially those living in poverty, in the United States.”
CHA's board consists of 23 trustees, including Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, CHA president and chief executive officer. The board's role includes developing CHA's strategic directions, ensuring CHA's fidelity to its mission, stewarding CHA's resources and performing other governance activities to support and strengthen the Catholic health ministry in the United States.
Issai has more than 31 years of progressively responsible management experience in major health care organizations, including over 19 years as a senior finance executive. In May 2001, Issai worked closely with the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Province of the West to create the Daughters of Charity Health System (DCHS) and separate the Daughters’ six hospitals from Catholic Healthcare West, after which time he joined DCHS as its Executive Vice President and CFO. In July 2006, Issai was appointed as President and CEO of DCHS.
Issai’s leadership experience includes serving as the Regional Vice President of Finance for Catholic Healthcare West – Southern California Region; Senior Vice President and CFO of St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, CA; and Assistant Vice President of Finance with Harbor Health Systems, in Harbor City, CA.
Issai received his M.B.A. in Finance with honors from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California. In addition to his CHA board responsibilities, Issai is a member of the Board of Trustees of the California Hospital Association and serves on the American Hospital Association Health Care Systems Governing Council.