Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Tarzana, West Hills Hospital & Medical Center in West Hills and San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center Inc. in Van Nuys all announced leadership changes in August. Providence Holy Cross, part of Providence Health & Services, said Aug. 6 that it had appointed Jodi Hein as its new chief nursing officer. Hein – who holds a doctorate in nursing practice from Samuel Merritt University in addition to her title as a registered nurse – has served in leadership roles at several Southern California hospitals. She most recently was vice president and chief nursing executive at Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, where she oversaw nursing operations for three years. Prior to that, she was chief clinical officer at Promise Hospital Suburban Medical Center in Paramount. “Jodi is a perfect fit for Holy Cross,” Dr. Bernard Klein, chief executive of Providence Holy Cross, said in a statement. “She is focused, enthusiastic and eager to lead our talented team of nurses.” West Hills Hospital announced Aug. 13 that it had named Dr. Yale Podnos as its chief medical officer. He will oversee patient care initiatives and quality measures and will serve as the liaison between the medical staff and hospital administration, the medical center said in a statement. Podnos was most recently chairman of the surgery department at University of North Carolina REX Healthcare. He also is a past member of the faculties at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C. and University of North Carolina in Raleigh, N.C. In addition, he has served consultant for Ethicon Inc., a medical device company based in Cincinnati. Podnos holds a master’s degree in health administration from Harvard. He received his medical degree from University of California – Irvine, where he also completed his residency in general surgery. “(Podnos) brings exceptional leadership and medical experience to our management team,” Douglas Long, chief executive of West Hills Hospital, said in a statement. Also on Aug. 13, the San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center said it had named Tim Ryder to oversee business matters and operations as chief executive, effective July 30. Ryder previously served as executive director of Amanecer Community Counseling Service, which he led for 13 years. He succeeds Ian Hunter, who retired from the mental health center after nearly 40 years. Newhall’s Trauma Center Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has been re-verified as a Level II trauma center, the Santa Clarita hospital announced Aug. 8. The verification means the hospital has demonstrated that it is equipped to initiate care for patients with traumatic injuries, who may later be transported to a Level I trauma facility depending on the severity of their condition. Level II trauma centers offer round-the-clock immediate access to general surgeons and to specialists in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, radiology and critical care, according to the American College of Surgeons. Trauma centers are classified at the state or local level, then have their status verified every three years by a special college committee. Henry Mayo has been a Level II trauma center since 1993 and is the only one in the Santa Clarita valley. “We are very proud to be a trauma center in our community,” Dr. Larry Kidd, senior vice president and chief clinical officer, said in a statement. SetPoint Medical CEO SetPoint Medical has named Murthy Simhambhatla, as its new chief executive. The Valencia medical device company, which makes an implantable electronic device that stimulates the nervous system to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease, announced the appointment on Aug. 13. Simhambhatla replaces previous chief executive Anthony Arnold, who left the firm after nearly seven years to pursue “other opportunities,” SetPoint said in a statement. Arnold remains a consultant with the company, his Linkedin profile said. Simhambhatla comes to the firm from Irvine-based pharmaceutical firm Evolus Inc., which makes a product similar to Botox. He led the company through its initial public offering earlier this year. Simhambhatla’s experience also includes senior management roles at Abbott Laboratories, a Chicago-based multinational pharmaceutical company with facilities in Sylmar. He was senior vice president at the company and president of its medical optics division from 2012 to 2015. Prior to that, he was divisional vice president of the firm’s subsidiary Ibis Biosciences. “SetPoint’s therapy offers a novel pathway to address unmet needs for patients with autoimmune diseases,” Simhambhatla said in a statement. “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to lead SetPoint and to work with its innovative team to develop and commercialize our therapy.” Staff reporter Helen Floersh can be reached at (818) 316-3121 or at [email protected].