Dale Surowitz

[Providence] – Dale Surowitz, long-time chief executive of Providence Tarzana Medical Center, is the newly named chief operating officer for Providence Health & Services, Southern California.

Surowitz will transition into the position over the next few months, replacing regional COO Kerry Carmody, who announced last month he would retire Nov. 1 after nearly 40 years with Providence. A search will begin shortly to find a replacement for Surowitz at Providence Tarzana.

“We are very pleased that Dale has accepted this call to serve as the chief operating officer for our health system here in Los Angeles. His skills and experiences are a perfect match for our ever growing need to align with physicians, better coordinate care, reduce healthcare costs and improve the patient experience,” said Michael Hunn, senior vice president and chief executive of the Providence Southern California Region.

Surowitz maintained his position when Providence acquired the former Tarzana Regional Medical Center in 2008. He was praised for his successful efforts to keep his employees engaged during the five years the 249-bed hospital was for sale. Surowitz was responsible for guiding the implementation of the cultural, operational and system integration into Providence Health & Services, and the hospital has flourished during this transition and during his tenure as the chief executive officer.

Tarzana was the first hospital in California in 40 years to transition from investor-owned status to a faith-based, not-for-profit hospital as part of a large healthcare system. The hospital, serving many patients from the surrounding Jewish community, became a ministry of Providence, a Catholic health system, and Surowitz led the team and physicians at the hospital to ensure the continued physical and spiritual support for all faiths and cultures.

“Dale’s leadership skills helped create a transformational culture of diversity – one that has drawn upon the importance and value of all faiths in healing both the physical and spiritual needs of the communities we serve,” Hunn said. “Under his leadership, the Providence Tarzana family embraced the Providence mission of compassionate care to the poor and vulnerable.”

As regional COO, Surowitz will oversee operations at the five Providence medical centers in the Greater Los Angeles Area, Providence TrinityCare Hospice and Trinity KidsCare Hospice and the organization’s philanthropic foundations.

“As we enter a new era of health care, I feel fortunate to be a part of Providence as we lead the way in providing top quality and affordable health care from birth through life,” Surowitz said. “I have seen the impacts of this organization on Providence Tarzana and in the surrounding communities where outreach programs provide services for those most in need.”

Surowitz has been the hospital’s chief executive for 15 years. Previously he headed North Hollywood Medical Center and was an administrator for Doctors Hospital of Montclair and Ontario Community Hospital. He is a member of the Woodland Hills/Tarzana Chamber of Commerce and actively involved with the Foundation of California State University, Northridge; Valley Industry and Commerce Association; and the United Chamber of Commerce. He also serves as chairman of the Arthritis Foundation chapter serving the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys.

He has, over the years, received numerous awards including the Woodland Hills/Tarzana Chamber’s Joseph Staller Community Service Award; the Business Person of the Year Award from the Encino Chamber of Commerce; the Jewish Home for the Aging’s Circle of Life Award; and the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s Healthcare Excellence Award and 25 Most Influential  Business Leaders Award.

Surowitz, a native of the San Fernando Valley, lives in Tarzana with his wife Brenda. The couple has two grown children.

About Providence Health & Services, Southern California

Providence Health & Services, Southern California, is a Catholic not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing quality and compassionate health care and reaching out to the poor and the vulnerable in the communities it serves. Providence Southern California operates five award-winning acute-care medical centers in the Los Angeles area, providing a full continuum of healthcare services: Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, Providence Tarzana Medical Center and Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers in Torrance and San Pedro. The region also has numerous ancillary facilities including Hospice care, long-term care, numerous outpatient clinics, Providence Medical Institute and Providence High School.