Joanne Allen brings 12 years of experience to post
GILROY
Saint Louise Regional Hospital welcomes new President and Chief Executive Officer, Joanne Allen. Scheduled to begin her tenure Jan. 2, 2008, Allen, 50, comes to Saint Louise from O’Conner Hospital in San Jose.
Previously Chief Operating Officer at O’Conner, Allen brings 12 years of experience in health care administration to her new position.
During her time at O’Conner, she drove initiatives to improve patient care, quality and safety outcomes.
She looks forward to transitioning Saint Louise into the future.
“Saint Louise is truly a hospital that needs some business development,” Allen said. “Saint Louise hasn’t really captured the majority of the market share in its area and there’s room for that. That’s my strength. There are opportunities for growth.” Allen plans to do this by partnering with medical staff and strengthening existing relationships.
The position opened up in August and Allen said the opportunity to work as CEO at Saint Louise was a natural step for her to grow her career.
Originally from Los Gatos, she has lived in the Bay Area most of her life. She earned a Master’s degree in health care administration and a Bachelor’s degree in business administration, both from San Jose State University.
The position opened up after Ted Fox, the previous president and CEO, resigned in August, after seven years as the institution’s top officer, a move that shocked his colleagues. Steve Balalian filled the position in the interim months.
Additionally, she is happy to continue her career working with the Daughters of Charity Health System, a regional health care system of six hospitals and medical centers in California. O’Conner and Saint Louise are two of the hospitals in the system.
The ministry seeks to provide holistic, spiritually centered care to the sick and the poor. The DCHS has been serving Northern California for 152 years.
“Staying with the Daughters (of Charity) Health System is very important to me,” Allen said. “I would never consider a position outside of the Daughter’s.”
“I am thrilled to welcome Joanne as a leader at Saint Louise Regional Hospital,” said Robert Issai, president and CEO of DCHS. “Her unique set of skills, familiarity with the South Bay market, and demonstrated ability in business development will be a tremendous asset to Saint Louise.”
