MemorialCare’s Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital in Long Beach, which oversees care for nearly 13,000 youngsters in the region each year, has a new leader.
Lara Khouri, who was previously president and chief operating officer of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, has stepped into the role as CEO for Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital — a first for the institution.
“We previously had executives,” MemorialCare’s vice president of communications and public relations, Richele Steele, said in a Thursday, March 19, statement, “but she is the first CEO.”
Khouri began the job on Feb. 16, Steele said.
During her more than decadelong tenure at the helm of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Khouri led the development of dozens of pediatric programs to care for complex patients, helped the hospital advance research and patient care efforts by securing large grants, and contributed to CHLA’s designation as a leading pediatrics facility in Los Angeles County, according to a 2023 CHLA news release.
Before joining CHLA’s executive leadership team in 2015, Khouri also held leadership roles at other large health institutions, including Boston Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, according to MemorialCare.
“Lara brings a rare combination of strategic discipline, clinical understanding and mission-driven leadership,” MemorialCare president Dr. David Kim said in the announcement. “Her ability to build nationally recognized programs while partnering with physicians and inspiring care teams positions Miller Children’s & Women’s for its next phase of growth in both pediatric and women’s health.”
Khouri’s focus as Miller Children’s & Women’s top leader, the news release said, will include expanding the hospital’s specialized services, enhancing regional access to the hospital and community collaboration.
She also intends to leverage technology, MemorialCare said, including artificial intelligence platforms.
“This is a fast-moving arena and there are a number of technologies coming to the forefront in health care,” Steele said. “Lara’s vision is to work with clinical teams to find safe and effective tools that will allow our teams to focus on caring for patients – and reduce the burden of activities that take away from care.”
Some examples of that, Steele said, include AI-powered scribing tools, which health care staff can use to help document patient care.
“Another example is emerging tools that support interpretation services, allowing us to bring excellence and compassion to a diverse pediatric and maternal population,” Steele said. “There are also ways to leverage AI and machine learning to simplify business functions such as billing and improve access through on-line appointment scheduling. As we explore these innovations, we will assure that safety, quality, patient privacy and patient experience are front and center in all we do.”
It’s been a turbulent couple of years for MemorialCare’s two Long Beach hospitals.
MemorialCare, for example, laid off 72 workers at both the Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital in 2024, and another 175 employees at both facilities in 2025, citing increases in operational costs, supply chain inflation and other financial issues that have been ongoing since the COVID-19 pandemic.
MemorialCare reported a $239 million operating loss in the 2023 fiscal year, a significant increase when compared to MemorialCare’s reported $69 million operating loss the previous fiscal year, according to a report from Fitch Ratings, a firm that conducts global market research analysis.
Shortly after the wave of layoffs in 2025, members of the California Nurses Association employed at both the Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s held a one-day strike during contract negotiations with MemorialCare — and later voted no confidence in hospital leadership, with nurses citing ongoing concerns about understaffing at the facilities and increasing workplace violence against nurses.
MemorialCare, at the time, said it had continued to bargain in good faith with CNA, that the company has made, and continues to make, efforts to address the union’s concerns about staffing, and patient and worker safety.
Khouri, coming into Miller Children’s as its first CEO, said in a Thursday statement her plan is to evaluate — and go from there.
“My immediate priority is to listen to our clinicians, staff, and leaders, so I can fully understand the landscape and ensure they have what they need to deliver safe, high-quality care,” Khouri said. “As we move forward, we will continue to evaluate staffing needs thoughtfully and responsibly, with a focus on maintaining access, quality (and) safety, and a supportive work environment for those who care for our patients and families every day.”
Khouri will also focus on advancing the hospital’s research initiatives, emphasizing its role as a teaching hospital, training the next generation of pediatric specialists, and maintaining the hospital’s patient and family-centered care model, according to MemorialCare.
“Operational excellence, innovation and partnership will be critical to how we grow,” Khouri said in the announcement. “By leveraging advanced analytics, research and emerging technologies — while keeping patients and families at the center — we can scale responsibly without losing what makes this organization exceptional.”
Khouri, a previous Long Beach resident, also noted her excitement about returning to the city.
“As a former Long Beach resident, this is a full circle moment for my family and me,” Khouri said. “I’m excited for the future of pediatric and women’s health care in Long Beach and beyond.”