Southern California Hospital Leader Elected 2016 Board Chair of California Hospital Association

James R. Holmes, President/CEO of Redlands Community Hospital, has been elected 2016 chair of the California Hospital Association (CHA) Board of Trustees. A native of Whittier (Los Angeles County), Holmes joined Redlands Community Hospital in 1988 as the facility’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In 1995, he was selected to lead the 229-bed facility, located mid-way between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. The hospital, which was founded in 1904, now has more than 270 board certified physicians, 1,400 employees and 300 volunteers. “I am honored to have been elected to this important position,” said Holmes. “Hospitals are in the process of changing themselves into being a more patient-focused, cost effective healthcare provider and CHA is supporting this transition.” A graduate of UC Berkeley, where he double-majored in biochemistry and bacteriology, Holmes went on to earn his master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in health care finance and accounting from Cornell University. Prior to joining Redlands Community Hospital, Holmes worked in the financial consulting sector, advising hospitals and other clients. Holmes has a long history of leadership within the health care industry. He is a past board chair of the Hospital Association of Southern California (HASC) and is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Special Task Force on Healthcare Policy Development. Holmes also is a past president of the California Hospital Political Action Committee, a past member of the HASC Joint Committee on Finance and a former member of the Blue Cross Hospital Advisory Committee. Holmes also has been an active community leader, having served as the past president of the United Way of the East Valley and as the past chairman of Building A Generation, a locally based volunteer group that provides services to at-risk youths. He also is a past member of the Redlands Chamber of Commerce’s Economic and Legislative Committee and the Redlands Rotary Club. CHA President/CEO C. Duane Dauner called Holmes “an outstanding choice” to serve as CHA’s Board Chair during 2016. “The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), together with private and public sector developments, are driving transformative changes that are challenging hospital leaders and other stakeholders across the state,” Dauner stated. “Jim Holmes’ extensive leadership experience, combined with his expertise in health care finance, will be invaluable as he guides CHA this coming year.” Other officers elected to the CHA Board of Trustees for 2016 are Chair-Elect Ann Madden Rice, CEO of the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento; Secretary-Treasurer Richard Afable, MD, MPH, President & CEO, St Joseph Hoag Health and Executive Vice President, St. Joseph Health, Southern California; and Past Chair Greg Adams, executive vice president and Northern California region president for Kaiser Permanente. As one of the largest health care trade associations in the nation, CHA represents more than 400 hospitals and health systems in California. The association advocates for patients and hospitals, promotes public health policy and is hospitals’ voice at the state and federal levels. CHA has offices in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.