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Rady Children’s Announces Leadership Transitions at Hospital’s Annual Meeting

San Diego – Feb. 3, 2015 – Officials at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego today introduced incoming Board Chairs for Rady Children’s Board of Trustees and Board of Directors and new roles for some current executives at the Hospital’s annual meeting.

The Board has officially named Donald Kearns, MD, as Rady Children’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Kearns had served in the hospital’s top executive role for more than a year, beginning in November, 2013, when he was named acting President and Chief Medical Officer. He was named President in July, 2014.

“In the time Dr. Kearns has served in the role of Rady Children’s President, he has proven himself to be an extraordinary leader who embraces the significant potential of Rady Children’s to provide the very best healthcare for children,” said outgoing Board Chair David Hale. “His pride in this organization is readily apparent to the more than 5,000 employees he leads.”

“Dr. Kearns brings a unique skill set to the role of President and CEO,” said incoming Board Chair Ted Roth. “His years of training as a physician and surgeon have provided him with a deep understanding of the clinical priorities at Rady Children’s, and his experience as an executive gives him the necessary tools to provide strong leadership to the organization.”

Dr. Kearns practiced Pediatric Otolaryngology for more than 25 years at Rady Children’s and was recognized yearly in the national survey Best Doctors in America. Dr. Kearns has been involved in numerous aspects of Rady Children’s growth and development in various leadership positions. He has served as Chairman of the Department of Surgery for Rady Children’s, Surgeon-in-Chief of Rady Children’s Specialists of San Diego and subsequently Chief Medical Officer of Rady Children’s.

Also announced at today’s annual meeting, Ted Roth was named Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors for Rady Children’s. Roth has been a member of the Hospital’s Board of Trustees and Board of Directors since October, 2001. He currently chairs the Board Audit and Corporate Responsibility Committee and has been a member of the Executive, Strategic Planning, Compensation, Governance and Investment Committees.

Roth is President of Roth Capital Partners, LLC, an independent full-service investment bank focusing on growth-oriented small-cap publicly traded companies. He is a graduate of Iowa Wesleyan College and has a J.D. from Washburn University and an LL.M. from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

“For more than 13 years, Ted has been a true asset to Rady Children’s, demonstrating skillful and determined leadership on our Hospital Boards,” said David Hale. “Ted is committed to achieving the Hospital’s goal of becoming not only a world-class health care provider, but an international leader in research, teaching and innovation.”

David Hale will assume a new role as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Rady Pediatric Genomics and Systems Medicine Institute at Rady Children’s. In 2014, Ernest Rady and family pledged $120 million to support the Institute, which will bring together a team of world-class scientists, researchers and clinicians who will focus their talents on preventing, diagnosing, treating and curing childhood disease through genomics and systems medicine research. Rady Children’s Board of Trustees committed an additional $40 million in funding to support the Institute.

“The Genomics Institute requires a leader with both a deep understanding of this emerging field of research and the visionary leadership to realize its incredible potential. David Hale is that leader,” said Donald Kearns, MD.

Hale has been a member of Rady Children’s Board of Trustees and Board of Directors since October 1996. He has been Chairman of the Boards since 2011 and has been an active participant on many board committees including Executive, Strategic Planning, Compensation, Governance and Audit and Corporate Responsibility.

Hale is Chairman and CEO of Hale BioPharma Ventures, LLC a private company focused on the formation and development of biotechnology, specialty pharma, diagnostic and medical device companies.

Michael Peckham will transition into the role of Vice Chair for both Boards. Peckham has been a member of the Rady Children’s Board of Trustees and Board of Directors since March 2009. He currently chairs the Facilities, Planning and Construction Task Force and is Co-Chair of the Board Quality, Safety and Medical Affairs Committee. During his tenure he has also served on the Strategic Planning Committee and Medical Practice Foundation Committee.

Peckham is the founder of the “Fantasy on Ice” skating rink, located downtown, which over the past 17 years has donated more than $1.5 million to fund the Hematology/Oncology program at Rady Children’s. In 2008, in recognition of the Peckham family’s personal contributions totaling $10 million to support cancer and blood disorder programs, the Hematology/Oncology program at Rady Children’s was named the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
Peckham is Managing Principal at SENTRE Partners, Inc. in San Diego. He is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

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