Former professor named interim president of UCLA Hospital System
By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde
June 16, 2015 8:45 p.m.
Professor emeritus James B. Atkinson, who served several leadership positions in the UCLA Health System, has been serving as the interim associate vice chancellor and president of UCLA Hospital System as of May 11, officials announced Tuesday.
Atkinson temporarily assumed the position after David Feinberg stepped down from his role on May 1. The university is searching for a permanent replacement for Feinberg, a process that they predict will take up to 12 months, according to a statement.
Chancellor Gene Block, John Mazziotta, the vice chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences, and John Stobo, executive vice president of UC Health, selected Atkinson because of his previous experience in the UCLA Health System, the university said in a separate email statement.
Prior to his retirement from being a professor in 2014, Atkinson served as a professor of surgery, executive vice chairman of the Department of Surgery and chief of the division of Pediatric Surgery at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center, he said in an email statement.
In 2004, Atkinson led efforts to finish the construction of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and the UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, he said in the statement. In 2009, Atkinson also took on the roles of the medical director and chief medical officer for the Santa Monica campus and was involved in the final construction and integration of the Santa Monica campus into the current UCLA Health System.
Atkinson said because he only recently left his former leadership position, he thinks he understands well the issues the UCLA Health System faces and intends to support Mazziotta’s agenda to continue to grow the Health System.
Compiled by Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Bruin senior staff. Contributing reports from John Peter Cavender, Bruin reporter.
